Boston Red Sox Acquire Tyler O’Neill from Cardinals in Exchange for Pitchers

Trade provides Red Sox with outfielder stopgap and saves $3.5 million, while Cardinals alleviate outfield surplus.

Tyler O’Neill, the Cardinals' outfielder, has been traded to the Boston Red Sox for right-handed reliever Nick Robertson and right-handed minor-league starter Victor Santos.
O’Neill had a breakout season in 2021, hitting .286/.352/.560 with 34 homers, but his performance has regressed in the past two years due to multiple injuries.
Robertson and Santos, the players traded for O’Neill, are both promising pitchers, with Robertson showing above-average stuff but poor command in his brief big-league time, and Santos potentially profiling as an emergency starter or swingman.
The Cardinals had an excess of outfielders, making it sensible for them to trade O’Neill, while the Red Sox see O’Neill as a stopgap as they wait for Roman Anthony, who finished the year in Double A, to reach the majors.
The trade also saves the Red Sox $3.5 million, as O’Neill’s projected salary is less than that of Alex Verdugo, who was recently traded by the Red Sox.