Outfielder Tyler O’Neill was traded from the Cardinals to the Red Sox on Friday. O’Neill is a two-time Gold Glove winner and finished eighth in the NL MVP voting in 2021. Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
BOSTON — The Red Sox acquired outfielder Tyler O’Neill from the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, bringing in a two-time Gold Glove winner to replace the departing Alex Verdugo.
St. Louis received right-handers Nick Robertson and Victor Santos in return.
O’Neill finished eighth in the NL MVP voting in 2021, batting .286 with 34 homers and 80 RBI. But he hasn’t come close to that production since – or before – with a .248 average and 78 homers in his six-year career.
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 6.04 ERA. Santos, who missed all of 2023 with a right elbow injury, has a 23-48 record and 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.”
Boston traded Verdugo to the Yankees on Tuesday for right-handers Greg Weissert, Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice.
METS: Relief pitcher Jorge López and New York agreed to a $2 million, one-year contract, according to a person familiar with the deal.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical and had not been announced by the team.
López gives the Mets another experienced arm as they rebuild their bullpen depth with low-cost castoffs.
The right-hander pitched for three playoff teams last season, going 6-2 with a 5.95 ERA and three saves in 61 relief appearances for Minnesota, Miami and Baltimore.
López, who turns 31 in February, moved exclusively to the bullpen in 2022 and was a dominant closer for the Orioles during four breakout months that earned him an All-Star selection. Baltimore traded him to the Twins in early August that year and he finished 4-7 with a 2.54 ERA and 23 saves in 67 games.
Besides that, he’s mostly struggled in eight major league seasons. López is 22-40 with a 5.51 ERA and 27 saves in 230 games, including 58 starts, for Milwaukee, Kansas City, Baltimore, Minnesota and Miami. He pitched for the Brewers when their general manager was David Stearns, the Mets’ new president of baseball operations.
BRAVES-ANGELS TRADE: Atlanta obtained infielder David Fletcher and catcher Max Stassi from Los Angeles for infielder Evan White and left-hander Tyler Thomas.
Fletcher, 29, hit .247 with two homers and 12 RBI in 33 games with the Angels this season and batted .331 with four homers and 38 RBI in 85 games at Triple-A Salt Lake. An Orange County native, he has a .277 batting average with 16 homers and 168 RBI in parts of six seasons with the Angels.
Fletcher is owed $14 million as part of a $26 million, five-year contract, a deal that calls for him to receive $6 million next year and $6.5 million in 2025 and includes a $1.5 million buyout of a 2026 team option.
Stassi, 32, did not play this season. He strained his left hip in spring training, and the team said on Sept. 9 that while he was capable of resuming baseball activities, he would miss the rest of the season because of a serious family medical issue.
ORIOLES: The president of Maryland’s state Senate expressed concerns about tying the Baltimore Orioles’ new lease at Camden Yards to an agreement on development near the ballpark.
A spokesman for Gov. Wes Moore said the administration will work to address those concerns, with less than a month remaining before the team’s current lease expires.
The Orioles’ lease expires at the end of the year. In September, the team dramatically announced a new 30-year deal to stay at Camden Yards – a message to that effect appeared on the scoreboard in the middle of a game the night the team clinched the AL East. The following day, the governor’s office released details of a memorandum of understanding involving Moore, the team and the Maryland Stadium Authority, but it’s not clear when the deal will be finalized and approved.
The September agreement included a 99-year development rights agreement for areas surrounding the ballpark, including the warehouse and Camden Station. That now appears to be a sticking point for Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat.
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