Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) celebrates a RBI single against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Cardinals Slugger Quickly Emerging As Offseason Trade Candidate

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Jan 21, 2026 10:58 AM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have seemingly entered quite a big rebuild this offseason. They opted to trade a handful of relief pitchers at the trade deadline last season, but their biggest moves have come this offseason.

The Cardinals opted to trade Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox to begin the offseason. A few weeks later, they opted to send Willson Contreras to the Red Sox in a separate deal. Later in the winter, Nolan Arenado was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

All in all, the Cardinals have added a lot of prospect talent to their farm system, but they could continue making trades this winter. Continuing their fire sale should bolster their farm system to one of the better units in the league.

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Just Baseball's Ryan Murphy recently suggested the Cardinals could look to trade slugger Alec Burleson as their next move toward their rebuild.

Cardinals' Alec Burleson makes a lot of sense as a trade candidate

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"Among these players, there are a few who stand out above the rest," Murphy wrote. "In particular, Alec Burleson and Brendan Donovan should command solid returns for the Cardinals.

"Burleson’s ascent was a bit more recent. After a few seasons of average play, Burleson went off for a 124 wRC+ with 18 home runs and .290/.343/.459 slash line in 2025. Burleson will also remain under contract until 2029. Given his breakout production and team control, the Cardinals would do well to sell high on him."

Burleson is one of the more underrated sluggers in the league. He was excellent last season, as he clubbed 18 home runs in less than 140 games.

There are plenty of teams that could look to add another slugger to their lineup. The Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners jump off the page as teams that could benefit from a trade for Burleson. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers also work as suitors if the Cardinals are looking to trade the slugger.

Either way, cutting ties with him will be the right decision if the Cardinals can land the right return.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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