The Cardinals may be staring at another uncomfortable deadline storyline, and this one centers on Alec Burleson.
Burleson has been St. Louis’ most reliable bat this season, and he backed that up again in game two against the Blue Jays, going 2-for-4 in another loss for the Redbirds. For the year, he’s hitting .282/.344/.459 with an .803 OPS and an OPS+ of 126.
The numbers underneath the surface make the case even louder. His expected stats - xBA, xwOBA, xSLG - along with his strikeout rate all suggest he’s been on the wrong side of luck this season. In a year where he could sneak into the Silver Slugger conversation if other sluggers fade in the second half, Burleson has been one of the game’s unluckiest hitters.
That production and reputation have drawn attention from around the league. According to THE MLB Insider, the Cardinals are fielding calls. In a recent MLB Trade Rumors piece, Steve Austin wrote, “They have no shortage of players to peddle to other clubs, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan indicates that president of baseball ops Chaim Bloom isn’t likely to have many players wholly off limits…Beyond the list of usual suspects known to be available - Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Ryne Stanek, Lars Nootbaar - the Cardinals are at least open to offers on first baseman Alec Burleson, per Passan.”
That’s the latest tough note for St. Louis fans, because Burleson isn’t just another name on a board. He’s become one of the few remaining ties to the club’s last playoff team in 2022, and while he wasn’t a major factor that year, he’s stayed put and improved.
The larger picture explains why the Cardinals would even entertain the idea. The club isn’t viewed as a true contender right now, no matter what the first-half record suggested, and the timeline points more toward 2028. Redbuilding around players like Wetherholt and Walker looks like the path to something sustainable.
That’s where the tension comes from. Cardinals fans still seem attached to the “Mozeliak mentality” - the idea that simply getting in is enough, or that the goal is just to give yourself a chance.
But the current plan isn’t about patching together a middling roster. It’s about construction.
And that means hard choices. Burleson has become the kind of homegrown talent this franchise has to hold onto, which is why the rumor stings. Still, if the Cardinals are serious about building what comes next, his name may be part of that process.
In Other News...
Cardinals May Have Found The Deadline Partner Fans Were Waiting On
As the trade deadline gets closer, the Cardinals could have a natural match in the Phillies, a club still shopping for help in several spots. Philadelphia is looking for an outfield bat, starting pitching and bullpen arms, and St. Louis has been mentioned as a possible fit with the kind of pieces contenders usually chase at this time of year.
The market has already been moving after a string of recent deals around the league, which only raises the odds that the right conversation can finally turn into something real. For the Cardinals, the appeal is obvious: a partner with clear needs and enough urgency to keep calling, even if the most interesting names in the mix are still just part of the speculation. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Fans Have Another Reason To Be Excited About Trevor Condon
Trevor Condon is already giving Cardinals fans a reason to keep an eye on the farm system. After being taken with the 13th overall pick in the MLB Draft, the young outfielder recently turned heads again by going deep in a bridge league game, a small snapshot that only adds to the buzz around his all-around skill set.
Condons appeal goes beyond one swing. His speed, hitting, fielding and arm strength have made him one of the more intriguing names in St. Louis pipeline, and the comparisons to Chicago Cubs standout Pete Crow-Armstrong only add to the intrigue. With several other notable prospects in the system, Condons progress is another part of why the Cardinals future has become a little more interesting to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Lars Nootbaar Trade Buzz Puts Cardinals Fans On Edge
With the Cardinals sliding out of the postseason picture, the trade deadline is shaping up as a reset point rather than a push, and Lars Nootbaar has surfaced as one of the more watchable names on the roster. The outfielder fits the kind of player that can draw interest when a club starts listening on veterans, especially for a team that may be leaning toward a broader rebuild and looking for ways to add future value.
That leaves Cardinals fans in an uneasy spot, because moving a familiar, productive regular would signal just how serious the club is about reshaping the roster. Nootbaar is still the kind of player contenders can talk themselves into, and once a name like his enters the market, the conversation around St. Louis quickly turns from what the team can salvage this season to what the next wave might look like. [Read more 🡒]