5 players who could be on the trade block if the Cardinals are buyers at the deadline

Alec Burleson's hot bat may be more valuable as a trade piece than as a irregular starter for the Cardinals

While Nolan Gorman hasn't produced enough to warrant a significant return, Alec Burleson may also be facing reduced playing time moving forward, but his bat is playing well enough that he could have more value in a deal than sitting on the Cardinals' bench.

In 43 games this year, Burleson posted a .285/.336/.415 with four home runs and 16 RBI, amouting to a respectable 111 wRC+. While that alone is not all that special, Burleson has a 1.032 OPS and 186 wRC+ during the month of May and appears to have his swing back.

After slugging 17 home runs and posting a 125 wRC+ in the first half of 2024, Burleson fell off a cliff after the All-Star Break, posting an 80 wRC+ and hitting just four home runs in those 63 games. That power outage carried into the 2025 season, but after a powerless March/April, Burleson has four home runs and two doubles in his 49 plate appearances in May.

The Cardinals are getting more creative with finding Burleson plate appearances, as he has started playing in the corner outfield spots again. But with Ivan Herrera trending toward becoming the Cardinals' primary designated hitter, it will be very difficult to get Burleson in the lineup as often as they should, considering the production he is providing them.

Barring an injury to Willson Contreras, Lars Nootbaar, or Jordan Walker, or the latter being demoted to Memphis, Burleson won't have a starting role on this club unless they start putting Herrera behind the plate frequently again.

Let me make myself clear, I'm not saying the Cardinals need to trade Burleson. There is no rush to do something like that. But if they are looking to make a meaningful upgrade at the deadline for their roster, Burleson may be the perfect example of a player whose talent could help fetch that, and he lacks a clear fit on the roster in both the immediate and long-term outlooks of the club.

It probably makes more sense to hold onto Burleson this season and consider something like that in the offseason. If an injury or regression in performance happens, Burleson is likely the immediate answer to that hole in the Cardinals' lineup. And honestly, he's critical insurance behind Jordan Walker in case he cannot get on track as the season goes on.