O'Neill seemingly odd man out in Cards' OF logjam

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak revealed on Monday at MLB’s Winter Meetings that the club is not finished tinkering with its roster and will almost assuredly be active in the trade market in the coming days.

However, it’s likely not the trade that Cardinals fans have been hoping for, nor one that might singlehandedly make St. Louis a legitimate World Series contender again in 2024.

Rather than looking to be active in the trade sweepstakes for an elite, front-of-the-rotation pitcher such as Dylan Cease, Tyler Glasnow or Corbin Burnes, Mozeliak instead told reporters that his club will likely deal two-time Gold Glove outfielder Tyler O'Neill.

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Mozeliak said at the MLB General Managers Meetings in November and again on Monday that he envisions the Cardinals' starting outfield being composed of Lars Nootbaar, Tommy Edman and Jordan Walker, with Dylan Carlson serving as the fourth option. That leaves not enough room for O’Neill and will necessitate a trade.

“We feel like getting [O’Neill] everyday at-bats is going to be really difficult, given our outfield and with the way we predict it will line up,” Mozeliak said from a suite at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. “So, when you're looking at exploring the trade market, we could ignore it and not say his name, but I mean, it's coming to the point where it's kind of obvious.

“In the end, it’s probably what's best for everybody. In the end, it probably makes sense if we're able to do something because, look, he sees himself as an everyday player. And, you know, candidly, we do too, but when you look at who else we have, it's going to be tough to find those at-bats.”

The Cardinals were especially aggressive early in free agency, signing right-handers Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson to reload the pitching staff following an unexpected 71-91 season in 2023. While those moves figure to add some much-needed toughness and durability to the Cardinals' pitching staff, they likely won’t make the club a favorite to contend for the World Series in a rugged National League that includes the Phillies, Dodgers, Braves, D-backs, Marlins and Cubs.

Cease, Glasnow or Burnes would likely do that for a Cardinals franchise desperate to rebound, but Mozeliak said the club is more inclined to enter the season with the three new additions to pair with incumbents Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz.

“We feel pretty good about where our rotation is right now,” said Mozeliak, who also confirmed that franchise icon Yadier Molina will work with the club in an advisory role of some sort in 2024. “We do think, if possible, deploying resources to help bolster the bullpen might be more important at the moment. But I don't want to put myself in a corner or the organization in a corner because something may present itself that makes sense.”

Matz, whose name has been bandied about in trade talks because of his relatively low salary for a starting pitcher ($24 million over the next two years) and his strong seven-start stretch late in the season, has changed his offseason workout plan to try and be more durable for 2024, Mozeliak said. The left-hander has made just 27 starts in two seasons because of injuries.

“Reports are that Steven’s having a good offseason, a normal offseason, and he's changing a little bit of how he prepares for spring. So, hopefully those changes allow him to take the ball more often,” Mozeliak said. “But, in the end, you’ve still got to either pitch or not, right? But we're hopeful that he can be one of our five [starters].”

The Cardinals debated whether to non-tender O’Neill prior to the mid-November deadline, but instead hung onto the 28-year-old in hopes of flipping him in a trade for an asset.

O’Neill gave the Cardinals great hope that they had found a future star in left field in 2021, when he showed off his rare blend of speed, power and defensive capabilities. He hit .286 with 34 home runs, 80 RBIs and an OPS+ of 148. However, shoulder and hamstring injuries limited him to just 96 games in '22 (.228 with a 99 OPS+) and more injury issues saw him play just 72 games in 2023 (.231 with a 94 OPS+).

Mozeliak admitted that trading a player as talented as O’Neill could be risky, especially after the Cards were forced to look on as Randy Arozarena and Adolis García blossomed after leaving the Redbirds via deals.

“Yeah, [O’Neill] will probably get MVP votes,” Mozeliak said with a sly grin. “There’s a saying, ‘If you don’t make mistakes [on trades], you’re probably not trying.’ Do we wish we batted 1.000 [on trades]? Of course, but we are human, and we do make mistakes.”