Red Sox acquire O'Neill
Langley Blaze and Junior National Team alum Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) was traded to the Boston Red Sox by the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
December 8, 2023
Official Boston Red Sox News Release
Boston, Mass. – The Boston Red Sox have acquired outfielder Tyler O’Neill from the St. Louis Cardinals, in exchange for right-handed pitcher Nick Robertson and minor league right-handed pitcher Victor Santos.
O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.), 28, has played in 477 games for the Cardinals (2018-23), batting .248 (363-for-1,464) with a .776 OPS, 78 home runs, 40 stolen bases, 239 runs scored, and 217 RBIs. A Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner in 2020 and 2021, he has made 324 career starts in left field, 36 in center field, 12 in right field, and five as the designated hitter. The right-handed hitter finished eighth in 2021 National League Most Valuable Player voting after he hit .286 (138-for-482) with a .912 OPS, 26 doubles, two triples, 34 home runs, 89 runs scored, 80 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases in 138 games.
In 72 games during 2023, O’Neill batted .231 (55-for-238) with 14 doubles, nine home runs, and 27 runs scored while ranking in the Majors’ 89th percentile in arm strength and 80th percentile in sprint speed. The British Columbia native represented Canada in the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classics, batting .615 (8-for-13) with five runs scored, four RBIs, and two doubles in four games during this year’s tournament. Originally selected by the Seattle Mariners in the third round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, he was traded to St. Louis in July 2017 for left-handed pitcher Marco Gonzales.
Robertson, 25, allowed eight runs in 12 innings over nine games with the Red Sox after he was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 25, 2023. The right-hander also made nine appearances with the Dodgers during 2023, his Major League debut, posting a 6.10 ERA (7 ER/10 1/3 IP) with 13 strikeouts. Selected by the Dodgers in the seventh round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft, the Virginia native has recorded a 3.61 ERA (74 ER/184.2 IP), .227 opponent batting average, and 231 strikeouts in 150 career minor league games (three starts).
Santos, 23, missed the entire 2023 season due to a right elbow injury after attending spring training with Boston as a non-roster invitee. This winter, the Dominican Republic native has made seven appearances (five starts) for Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Professional Baseball League, going 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA (9 ER/27 1/3 IP), 23 strikeouts, six walks, and only one home run allowed. Signed as an international free agent by the Philadelphia Phillies in November 2016 and acquired by the Red Sox in July 2021, the right-hander owns a 3.72 ERA (184 ER/445 IP) over 101 career minor league appearances (71 starts).