It did not take long for the Cardinals to leave the Winter Meetings and find the pitching-oriented deal they wanted, just as it took only a few days for the Boston Red Sox to move an outfielder and replace him with a Cardinal.
The Cardinals traded outfielder Tyler O'Neill to Boston for two pitchers, only one of whom has minimal major-league experience. The two-time Gold Glove winner in left field will get to play that defense in the shadow of the Green Monster at Fenway Park.
In exchange for O'Neill, the Cardinals received two right-handed pitchers, reliever Nick Robertson and minor-league starter Victor Santos.
The teams announced the details of the trade shortly after the Post-Dispatch reported it Friday evening, citing a source with knowledge of the move.
Robertson, 25, appeared in 18 games in the majors this past season, split evenly between Boston and the Dodgers. He was sent from LA to Boston near the trade deadline. He had a 6.04 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings in the majors. At Class AAA with the two organizations, he appeared in 42 games and struck out 58 in 42 2/3 innings. Opponents had a .205 average against him in the minors, and went 4-1 with a 3.16 ERA.
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Santos, 23, missed the 2023 season due to an elbow injury. When he last appeared in games, he went 10-12 with a 4.97 ERA in 28 games (25 starts) for affiliates in the Red Sox system in 2022. He reached Class AAA, and in nine starts there he had a 4.95 ERA and 47 strikeouts against 14 walks in 43 2/3 innings.
This winter, Santos has pitched well in the Dominican Republic, going 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA in seven appearances. He has 23 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings.
The Red Sox traded Alex Verdugo to the Yankees during this past week's Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn. At the same time, the Cardinals were looking for the right fit for the outfielder throughout the week and were unsure if the price would be met before other outfielders and hitters available in the market moved first.Â
The Cardinals hoped to get pitching depth or a big-league reliever in exchange for O'Neill.
O'Neill, 28, has been limited by injuries during the previous two seasons, though he's one of the few available outfielders who had a 6.0 WAR season in his career. In 2021, O'Neill had a .912 OPS with 34 home runs, and he displayed the rare combination of elite sprint speed and elite exit velocity. The injuries accumulated since, and in 2023 he hit .231 with a .312 on-base percentage and a .403 slugging percentage in 72 games.
The Cardinals acquired O'Neill from Seattle at the trade deadline in 2017, swapping him straight up for lefty Marco Gonzales.
O'Neill is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility and will be a free agent at the end of the 2024 season.
The trade has the potential to clear around $5.5 million of salary for the Cardinals, who remain in pursuit of a free-agent reliever (or two) for the bullpen. Robertson will take O'Neill's spot on the 40-man roster.