Cardinals Have an Easy Decision if Teams Call for Alec Burleson

The offseason is quickly approaching for the St. Louis Cardinals and it's going to be a long one after the club missed the postseason for the fourth straight season.

The 2026 season has been a largely positive one as St. Louis has seen plenty of young guys get opportunities and cement themselves as key pieces for this club's future. A few examples are JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, Leo Bernal, Joshua Báez, and Kyle Leahy, among many others. Another guy who has been good already in the majors, but took his game to another level in 2026 is first baseman Alec Burleson. So much so that he should arguably be untouchable this winter when trade rumors and buzz ultimately pick up steam.

Burleson is just 27 years old and has two more seasons of team control left. It doesn't hurt that he's leading the league with 111 RBIs right now as well.

Around the trade deadline this summer, teams were interested in Burleson. He was called one of the "most popular controllable bats" in the trade market by MLB Network's Jon Morosi before the deadline came and went. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the San Diego Padres were among the teams that were interested in Burleson. Clearly, there was interest. It's not shocking to see why. Burleson won a Silver Slugger Award last year and has been significantly better in his first season as a full-time first baseman.

The Cardinals Haave An Underrated Star

Sep 22, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) takes the field to warm up against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 27-year-old is slashing .280/.345/.463 with an .808 OPS, 23 homers, 111 RBIs, 37 doubles, one triple and 85 runs scored in 156 games played. Last year, he set a career high with 1.9 wins above replacement. This season, he has blown that mark out of the water and is currently at 3.3 wins above replacement.

It's important to note, again, that he's also leading the league with his 111 RBIs. That's the type of production you want to have in the middle of your order. The Cardinals already have one of the best farm systems in the league. In fact, Baseball America ranked it as the second-best farm system in baseball.

You build up the farm system with the hope that a few of the guys are going to work out like Burleson has for St. Louis. He's homegrown, has years of control, and is one of the best overall first basemen in baseball.

The Cardinals already have missed the playoffs four seasons in a row. This year was the first under Chaim Bloom, so he deserves the benefit of the doubt, especially because there was clear progress for the club. Burleson has two more seasons of control. Realistically, the Cardinals should be able to get back to playoff contention at some point in that timeframe. So, when the chatter ultimately starts again about trading guys away, Burleson is someone who shouldn't even be on the table. He should be one of the core pieces, along with guys like Wetherholt and Walker.

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