One area of concern that was completely flipped on its head during the 2023 season for the Philadelphia Phillies was their outfield issues.
They had one of the worst defenses in the MLB with Kyle Schwarber in left field and Nick Castellanos in right due to Bryce Harper's recovery from elbow surgery.
Much of that went away when Harper moved to first base, allowing Schwarber to the be the full-time designated hitter and they called-up Johan Rojas from the minors who became an elite defender.
Before those internal moves, the Phillies were targeting outfield help ahead of the trade deadline. A player that they were reportedly interested in was Tyler O'Neill of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Ultimately, no deal got done as Dave Dombrowski became comfortable with the new alignment and how that projected for the remainder of the season.
However, after Rojas' struggles at the plate during the playoffs, the president of baseball operations has hinted at them targeting some outfield depth to supplement their current roster in case the young center fielder continues to struggle hitting.
Well, if Philadelphia is interested in making a deal for O'Neill, he is available in trade conversations according to Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak.
"In the outfield, right now, if we were to play tomorrow it’d likely be [Lars Nootbaar], Tommy Edman and [Jordan Walker]. Our fourth outfielder would be Dylan Carlson. … Tyler O’Neill is somebody that we are listening to on trades," he said on MLB Network's Sirius XM channel.
The 28-year-old would be under club control through the 2024 season before hitting free agency.
What type of package St. Louis is looking for in return is unknown after O'Neill has struggled the past two years following his breakout season in 2021.
Since hitting 34 home runs and 80 RBI that year, he's only combined for 23 homers and 79 RBI the past two seasons.
Still, he has solid hitting numbers with a career slash line of .248/.318/.458. Defensively, he's primarily been used in left and center field with his last appearance in right coming in 2019.
Without a known asking price, it's hard to speculate if the Phillies have interest in making a deal for O'Neill, but if they view him as a piece that fits what they're looking for, he's now available in trade discussions this offseason.
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