It didn’t take long for the Boston Red Sox to find Alex Verdugo’s replacement.
The embattled Verdugo, who had fallen out of favor in Boston, was traded to the New York Yankees earlier this week. In turn, the Red Sox have moved to find his likely replacement in the outfield, as multiple outlets reported that the team has acquired Tyler O’Neill from the St. Louis Cardinals.
The two-time Gold Glove winner will be headed to Boston in exchange for right-handed reliever Nick Robertson and right-handed starter Victor Santos. The Cardinals had a plethora of outfielders and acquired two right-handers who are not among the Red Sox’s top-30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline,
Roberston was acquired in the Kiké Hernandez trade with the Dodgers this past season, while Santos was obtained from the Phillies for C.J. Chatham. So, each pitcher has now been traded twice and is figured to be a depth piece in St. Louis’s farm system.
As for O’Neill, the two-time Gold Glove winner has spent six seasons in the Major Leagues, hitting .248/.318/.48. His best season came in 2021 when he hit 34 home runs in 138 games. However, injuries have limited O’Neill’s playing time, with him only appearing in 168 games over the past two seasons. He has a combined slash line of .229/.310./.397 with 23 homers across the ’22 and ’23 seasons.
Nevertheless, he is considered a promising addition to the Red Sox team, which was looking for a right fielder after the Verdugo trade.
[MLB.com]
