Report: Cardinals not planning to trade O'Neill at deadline

Barring the unforeseen, Tyler O'Neill appears destined to finish this season in St. Louis.

The Cardinals - poised to be one of MLB's biggest sellers ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline - aren't planning on dealing O'Neill this summer, sources told Katie Woo of The Athletic.

If a trade does happen, it will be because a contender presented the Cardinals with a generous offer that was too good to refuse, according to Woo.

The Cardinals are looking for young pitching and have a surplus of outfielders to trade away this summer, with O'Neill standing out as as one of the likeliest candidates to be moved. When healthy, the 28-year-old owns a powerful bat with 30-homer potential, and he's also one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball.

Since earning an eighth-place finish in NL MVP voting in 2021, injuries have limited O'Neill to just 130 games over the last two seasons. He returned to action last week after spending over two months on the IL with a low back strain.

O'Neill, who owns a .657 OPS in limited action this year, hit .286/.352/.560 with 34 homers and 80 RBIs during his best big-league season in 2021. Defensively, he's won two NL left field Gold Gloves while saving 23 runs over his career. The Canadian has one more year of arbitration remaining before free agency.

While it seems like O'Neill will stay put, the Cardinals are ready to have a very busy deadline. The team is notifying rivals that starters Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery, and shortstop Paul DeJong, are going to be traded before next week's deadline, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports. Flame-throwing reliever Jordan Hicks could also be moved in the right deal, according to Passan.

Montgomery, 30, has been the Cardinals' only reliable starter this season during what's been a career-best year for the left-hander. Flaherty was once a bright star in St. Louis, finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2019, but has struggled to stay healthy and find that form over the last few years.

Montgomery, Flaherty, and Hicks would be rentals, as they're poised to become free agents this winter. DeJong, who's enjoying a bounce-back campaign at the plate, comes with a $12.5-million club option for 2024 or a $2-million buyout.