St. Louis Cardinals fans are well aware of the struggles one current Orioles outfielder has had staying healthy over the years.
The Baltimore Orioles are off to a rough start this season. On Saturday, they parted ways with manager Brandon Hyde following a disappointing opening stretch that has left them at the bottom of the AL East. This is a major letdown for a team once considered a contender in the American League. So what went wrong? A lot of fingers are pointing at GM Mike Elias and the offseason moves he made — particularly those that haven’t delivered so far. One example is Tyler O’Neill, who signed a three-year, $49 million deal during the offseason.
O’Neill was worth 2.6 WAR for the Red Sox last season, largely due to improved hitting. His defensive skills have never been in question, going back to his early days with the Cardinals.
But things have taken a downturn in Baltimore. Although O’Neill is a Gold Glove-caliber defender, his offense has been dismal, with his batting average sinking well below the Mendoza Line. FanSided recently criticized his play, pointing out that despite returning from injury, he continues to struggle at the plate — not what fans expect from someone earning close to $50 million.
On Sunday, the Orioles placed O’Neill on the IL with a minor shoulder injury. But given his history of injuries at inopportune times, this raised little surprise — especially among Cardinals fans who have seen this pattern before. What adds a layer of irony is who the Orioles called up in response: Dylan Carlson, another former top Cardinals prospect.
Carlson has barely played for Baltimore, logging just 15 at-bats with a -0.2 WAR. He’s not seen as a long-term solution — but then again, with O’Neill’s inconsistency, it’s fair to wonder if he is either. Carlson once finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting back in 2021 but has fallen off dramatically since. It raises the question: why did Elias invest heavily in two outfielders who never quite found lasting success in St. Louis?
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