Cardinals urged to make interesting trade decision on Alec Burleson

TL;DR

The St. Louis Cardinals are undergoing a major rebuild and may consider trading Alec Burleson. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal advises the team to take their time with this decision and even consider a long-term extension for Burleson.

Cardinals urged to make interesting trade decision on Alec Burleson originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The St. Louis Cardinals are in the middle of a major rebuild with Chaim Bloom taking over in the front office.

They've dealt away a lot of key veterans this past offseason, with Brendan Donovan, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras being the most notable departures. Alec Burleson was another name who could be on the move as well.

However, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal is urging the Cardinals to make an interesting decision with Burleson. This MLB insider wants the Cardinals not to rush to trade Burleson away at the very least, and even potentially extend him long-term.

Cardinals urged not to rush to trade Alec Burleson

"But at some point the Cardinals will need to retain a few veterans," Rosenthal writes. "Even if they resist signing Burleson to an extension, they need not be in a rush to trade him."

The Cardinals could decide to keep Burleson and sign him to a long-term extension to be their first baseman of the future.

He's a good enough hitter to earn such a role. He's hitting .259 with two homers and 11 RBIs in his season so far, and with a .786 OPS, the Cardinals' 27-year-old lefty slugger is someone worth investing in.

But Rosenthal is also realistic, acknowledging the Cardinals' desire to shake up the roster in a major way, with a trade still being on the table in his mind.

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However, Rosenthal is hoping that a trade isn't rushed into being made. The Cardinals have a few years of club control left, and they don't have to trade him by the 2026 MLB trade deadline.

St. Louis could wait to trade him next offseason, or even at the 2027 trade deadline, or even as far into the future as the 2028 offseason or trade deadline.

While the Cardinals are in the middle of a major rebuild, Rosenthal is urging the Cardinals not to rush into moving on from Burleson.

Whether it's simply waiting for the right trade package to come across their table, or to keep Burleson around long-term, Rosenthal is hoping the Cardinals don't rush a Burleson deal.