The Boston Red Sox have acquired outfielder Tyler O’Neill in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, the team announced Friday.
Boston sent right-hander Nick Robertson and minor league pitcher Victor Santos to St. Louis to complete the deal.
The righty-hitting O’Neill, 28, has spent all six of his major league seasons with St. Louis, highlighted by a 2021 campaign in which he batted .286 with 34 homers and 80 RBIs.
He has battled injury in the past, however, and was limited to just 96 games in 2022 and 71 this past season, when he hit .231 with nine home runs.
O’Neill, a two-time Gold Glover, has played all three outfield positions but has spent the bulk of his time in left. He joins a Red Sox team that traded outfielder Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees earlier this week.
O’Neill is in his final season of arbitration eligibility and could become a free agent after the 2024 season. He is projected to earn a salary of $5.5 million.
Robertson appeared in 18 games for the Red Sox and Dodgers last season, with a 0-1 record and a 6.04 ERA. Santos, who missed all of 2023 with a right elbow injury, has a 23-48 record and a 5.21 ERA in seven seasons with the Tigers, Rockies, Rangers, Brewers, Pirates, Reds and Orioles. The Cardinals said he will be assigned to the minor leagues.
“As we look to add pitching depth, as well as address concerns on potential playing time in the outfield, we felt this deal worked well in addressing both of those issues,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said in a statement. “We are excited to add Nick to our bullpen, and we feel Victor gives us added depth in our minor league system.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.