Cardinals' manager Oli Marmol gave Alec Burleson quite the trade deadline scare

Alec Burleson is known as a prankster and fun-loving guy by his St. Louis Cardinals teammate. One of the most veteran players on the team, leadership has been thrust upon the Silver Slugger recipient, and Burleson has handled that responsibility quite well. For one brief moment, though, Alec Burleson was on the receiving end of a prank.

The 2026 MLB trade deadline came and went with the Cardinals being one of the most active teams. They dealt rental pitchers Dustin May and JoJo Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers, traded Lars Nootbaar to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and acquired reliever Caleb Furgeson in a deal with the Cincinnati Reds.

Several other players were rumored to be on the move for the Cardinals including Ivan Herrera, Masyn Winn, Ryne Stanek, and Riley O'Brien. One other player was also mentioned in trade rumors with a hot market, and that man was first baseman Alec Burleson.

Oli Marmol pulled Cardinals' first baseman Alec Burleson into his office moments after the trade deadline.

Alec Burleson is known as a prankster in the Cardinals' clubhouse. He's often found joking with his teammates, and he brings a much-needed sense of levity to the team. For one fleeting moment, however, Burleson was on the receiving end of a prank.

During his weekly Tuesday appearance on The Gashouse Gang, manager Oli Marmol told a story about how he pulled Alec Burleson into his office just a few minutes after the 6:00 P.M. ET trade deadline. Oli had quite a chuckle before telling the story, and he spoke of his love for Burly as well.

"(Burleson) was nervous all day. This one was different than other years where...for the first time a lot of these young guys were experiencing their names being thrown around," said Marmol of Burleson hearing his name in the trade rumor mill in the days leading up to the deadline.

"It was 6:03 Eastern, and I went into the clubhouse and asked him if he had a minute. He made eye contact with me like, 'Oh, no.' I pulled him in the office, and I stared at him for three seconds. It probably felt like three minutes to him, and I extended my hand and said, 'You're staying. Settle down. You're all good.'

"He's someone that likes messing around with people, so I dished it back a little and everybody enjoyed it."

Cardinals fans were especially happy that Burleson wasn't traded that day, as he would go on to hit three home runs for the Cardinals Monday night en route to a 13-7 rollercoaster of a victory for the Cardinals against the Yankees.

In his postgame interview, Burleson spoke about his relief that he wasn't traded. "We lost some key guys that we really enjoyed having in the locker room. For me personally, I want to help this team through whatever this looks like over the next couple of years," said Burleson. "It's nice to be here. I love St. Louis. Overall, just relieved."

Burleson, 28, isn't a free agent until after the 2029 season. His offense has improved each year, posting an 87 OPS+ in 2023, a 105 OPS+ in 2024, a 126 OPS+ in 2025, and now a 134 OPS+ in 2026. He's hit 18 home runs this year with a league-leading 27 doubles. His .288 batting average ranks third among all first baseman.

Alec Burleson is becoming a fan favorite, and calls for an extension for him have been growing. He's looking to be a key figure for the Cardinals as they enter their next competitive window, and his consistency at the plate and at first base will be welcome for many years to come in St. Louis.

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