Just three years ago, Dylan Carlson and Tyler O’Neill looked like the future of the St. Louis Cardinals outfield as the club dreamed of what the 2020s could look like.

Now? They are both members of a team that’s actually ascending this decade in the Baltimore Orioles.

The Orioles announced today that Carlson was signing a one-year, $975K deal with the club with a $25k bonus if he is able to reach 200 plate appearances. The Orioles designated infielder Jacob Amaya for an assignment in a corresponding move.

Carlson joined O’Neill as free agent signings added to the Orioles’ outfield, as O’Neill inked a three-year, $49.5 million deal with an opt-out after 2025 back in early December.

O’Neill spent the 2024 season with the Boston Red Sox after the Cardinals shipped him out for Nick Robertson and Victor Santos, while Carlson was with the Tampa Bay Rays following a deadline deal for Shawn Armstrong.

Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson now headline the Orioles outfield after failed stints with the Cardinals

We’ve heard a lot about former Cardinal outfielders finding new homes in this league over the past few seasons, but this is the first time we are getting to see two of them pair up on a contender like Baltimore.

The O’Neill signing earlier this offseason came as a bit of a surprise but seemed like a really solid add for Baltimore overall.

While Carlson’s contract is small enough that the risk is a no brainer, his fit with the club makes a lot less sense overall.

On top of O’Neill and Carlson, the Orioles already have Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins, Heston Kjerstad, and Daz Cameron on the roster, so Carlson is going to have his work cut out for him in order to carve out a role.

One thing that I do think works in Carlson’s favor here though is his platoon advantage against left-handed pitching. Both Carlson and O’Neill have historically hit well against lefties, which Kjerstad, Cowser, and Mullins all hit from the left side.

The Orioles lineup is fairly left-heavy outside of even just their outfield group. Gunnar Henderson, Ryan O’Hearn, and Jackson Holiday all hit from the left side as well, so Carlson may be able to provide value in that way early and hopefully carve out an even more significant role.

The Orioles are also a club that is in a prime position to use some of their young position players to acquire high-level pitching, so perhaps moves like O’Neill and Carlson give them enough options to move on from someone like Kjerstad or other prospects in a trade for a starter.

For the Cardinals, O’Neill and Carlson’s times in St. Louis ran their course, but both represent “what if” scenarios from their player development woes over the decade.

O’Neill had a major resurgence with Boston in 2024, posting a 131 wRC+ and 31 home runs in just 113 games, looking much more like the MVP vote-getter he was in 2021 with St.

Louis. Carlson, on the other hand, really struggled with the Rays and was non-tendered by them this offseason.

Best of luck to the former Cardinal outfielders in Baltimore this year!