Cardinals Shouldn't Entertain Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson Trade Talk

The St. Louis Cardinals aren't in the same place that they were last year. When Chaim Bloom took over as the president of baseball operations for St. Louis, his first job was trading veterans away and restocking the farm system.

He did just that and got some money off the books as well in the process as Nolan Arenado landed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras went to the Boston Red Sox, and Brendan Donovan went to the Seattle Mariners. The Cardinals had a solid first year of the rebuild under Bloom and won just one fewer game in 2026, despite all of the trades. The roster is full of young guys who should be even better in 2027 and St. Louis boasts one of the best farm systems in the game. The Cardinals took a step in the right direction. This offseason, there aren't as many clear trade chips. Arguably, the club should simply add around the edges — especially the bullpen and back of the rotation — and go from there.

While this is the case, there's going to be a lot of speculation out there, including things St. Louis should ignore. For example, Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer listed Alec Burleson and Masyn Winn as the Cardinals' top trade assets.

The Cardinals Shouldn't Listen All Of The Trade Buzz Out There

Sep 26, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) reacts after hitting a solo home run in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"St. Louis Cardinals," Rymer wrote. "Alec Burleson, Masyn Winn. What do you do with a guy when he's fresh off hitting 27 home runs and leading the majors in RBI? If you're a contender, you keep Burleson. If you're a rebuilder like the Cardinals, you sell high now before free agency calls his name after the 2028 season. Winn is more of a vexing case. He's elite defensively at shortstop, but he can't hit."

The Cardinals shouldn't trade either of these two. In fact, it would be a mistake if St. Louis cut ties with either at this point. Burleson is among the game's most underrated first basemen. Burleson hit 26 home runs and led the league with 116 RBIs in 160 games played. Winn didn't hit well in 2026, but he wasn't at full strength for a chunk of the campaign.

He was still elite defensively and should've won the Gold Glove Award at shortstop. Plus, he's just 24 years old. When it comes to shortstop, there really isn't a replacement ready to roll. JJ Wetherholt could shift over, but what about second base? When Jesus Baez is ready to make the jump to the majors, maybe that could change. Right now, that isn't the case, though.

Simply put, the Cardinals don't need to trade Winn or Burleson right now. Both have team control and should be core pieces.

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