3 former Cardinals we'll miss this season and 2 we'll bid good riddance to

No big loss: Tyler O'Neill

Acquired by the Cardinals from the Seattle Mariners for pitcher Marco Gonzales in 2017, Tyler O'Neill had one brilliant season with St. Louis in 2021, where he hit .286 with 34 home runs and finished eighth in MVP voting. He appeared destined for greatness, but injuries, maddening inconsistency and a perceived lack of effort led O'Neill to be placed in the Cardinals' doghouse.

The Cardinals all but screamed at the baseball world that they were looking to deal O'Neill after the 2023 season, and they finally found a taker in the Boston Red Sox. who sent over pitchers Nick Robertson and Victor Santos.

O'Neill's litany of injuries, lack of hustle on a play at the plate early in 2023 and reluctance to play on turf because of concern over his knees was enough to exasperate fans and manager Oliver Marmol, who publicly criticized O'Neill for not giving it his all on his seemingly halfhearted scamper to the dish.

The Cardinals' massive overhaul of the clubhouse to rid it of negative energy and replace it with leaders was the final nail in the coffin for O'Neill. His five tools look to still be intact, and he has as much breakout potential as anyone in the game, so fans shouldn't be surprised if he he returns to his 2021 form with Boston. However, the Cardinals clearly ran out of goodwill for the outfielder.

If he rediscovers his old stroke with the Red Sox and stays healthy and committed, the credit would go to O'Neill for committing to the craft. The Cardinals did everything they could to try and get him right again, and no blame should fall on them if he blossoms in Boston.