The Cardinals haven’t made their move yet, but the direction of travel is getting clearer. After a rough week left St. Louis four games behind the final NL Wild Card spot, the club is expected to be on the selling side of the deadline, and Alec Burleson is already drawing attention.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that Burleson is “ one of the most popular controllable bats ” available.
That makes sense given the season he’s putting together. Burleson, 27, has been productive again after his breakout 2025 campaign, hitting .284/.347/.458 across 111 games. He’s spent this season at first base, though he has plenty of experience in both corner outfield spots.
The offensive profile is unusual for a first baseman. Burleson has become a strong contact and batting-average source, but the power has lagged behind.
The left-handed hitter has settled into a 20-homer type since becoming a full-time player, and this year he has pushed his hard-hit rate to a career-best 48.7% while posting an 11% barrel rate. A lot of that has shown up in the form of doubles - he’s already at a career-high 27 two-baggers.
Burleson has 15 home runs and has only an outside shot at topping the 21 he hit in 2024.
There are some other encouraging signs in the numbers, too. His walk rate is up to 8.3%, and while his strikeout rate has risen to 15.7%, that still counts as an excellent figure.
Burleson has also lifted his pulled air rate to nearly 20%, which suggests there may still be a little more pop waiting to surface. Statcast has liked the profile as well; he ranks in the 95th percentile or better in xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG.
For St. Louis, there’s no urgency to make a rushed decision.
Burleson is under team control for the next two seasons beyond this one and is playing on a $3.3MM contract after his first trip through arbitration. He could easily be part of the Cardinals’ next contending club, and if things don’t go right in 2027, the team could still revisit his market next season.
Arizona is one of the clubs already linked to him. John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Arizona Sports reported that the Diamondbacks are interested in Burleson, and the fit is obvious.
The Diamondbacks have been searching for left-handed bats for a while, and first base has been a problem area. Arizona ranks last by more than 40 points with a .600 OPS at the position, and the club has used 10 different players there, with Ildemaro Vargas leading the way.
The deadline has been quiet for Arizona so far, even with the team picking up four wins in its last five games and hanging onto one of the NL Wild Card spots. In a crowded National League, the Diamondbacks have stayed afloat while teams like the Cardinals, Nationals, and Pirates have slipped back.
A Burleson deal would not come cheap, but he’d fit neatly in the lineup between Ketel Marte and Gabriel Moreno. Arizona could also keep looking for a less expensive answer at first base.
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