Despite a stellar offensive showing in the 2025 season, this St. Louis outfielder could be playing his last year with the team.
It should be pretty clear by now.
2025 is not the year for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Currently sitting fourth in the NL Central standings with a 55-56 record, the Cardinals have not been the powerhouses of old that many St. Louis fans reminisce of.
This was finalized during the trade deadline, as the team dealt closer Ryan Helsley to the New York Mets, and surprisingly kept third baseman Nolan Arenado around.
But now as we look towards offseason options for trades, one Red Bird stands out in general, and he's having a career year for the team as of now.
Outfielder/first baseman Alec Burleson.
Burleson, a very underrated member of the Cardinals' lineup, was named by Redbird Rants writer Andrew Wang along with Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan as potential trade candidates for the team during the offseason, after failing to reach a trade deal with the three outfielders during the deadline festivities.
Through 99 games in the 2025 season so far, Burleson is hitting .284 with 14 home runs and 48 runs batted in, above pace for the 21 homers and 78 RBI he produced last year.
However, according to another Redbird Rants writer in Thomas Gauvin, Burleson's lack of defensive presence is cause for concern for the team, and that might what has the slugger seeing his way out.
"Alec Burleson is a strong offensive player, but his defense liabilities and lack of positional versatility make him an expendable player this offseason." Gauvin wrote. "He and Ivan Herrera are teetering towards similar defensive profiles, and Herrera is certainly the better offensive player. If Chaim Bloom's goal is to reset the system, trading Alec Burleson for a mid-rotation starting pitcher would go a long way."
The Cardinals will now likely just ride out the 2025 season, have whatever happens happen, and then come back refueled and rejuvenated for 2026.
Category: Baseball
