Cardinals Reportedly Turned Away Trade Interest In Burleson, Winn

The Cardinals are fielding calls on a lot of players on their roster. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cards have received interested in catchers Jimmy Crooks and Pedro Pagés, shortstop Masyn Winn and first baseman Alec Burleson, though Goold notes that the club quickly turned away the interest in both Winn and Burleson. It’s not surprising that the phone would ring. The Cardinals have been in seller mode for a while. Last offseason, they traded away Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Brendan Donovan to clear payroll and make room for younger players. At this year’s deadline, they traded away Dustin May, JoJo Romero and Lars Nootbaar. Those pitchers were all impending free agents while each position player was under club control through at least 2027. With all that selling, it’s understandable that clubs with needs would keep the lines open. The Cards seem to be planning for 2027 to be another evaluation year, so players nearing free agency would be logical trade candidates. Burleson is under club control through 2028. The Cards could emerge as legitimate contenders in that time frame but it’s unclear how aggressively they plan to tackle things in that window. He just hit 26 home runs this year and slashed .279/.343/.473, so now would be a good time to sell high. MLBTR placed Burleson in the #10 spot on our list of the Top 40 Trade Candidates entering the winter. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Burleson for an $8.3MM salary next year and he would be due another raise for 2028. The Cards don’t have to trade him now but his value will likely only go down from here as his window of club control shrinks and his salary increases. There’s also the chance of him suffering a notable injury or having a dip in performance. As mentioned, he is coming off a good season, so his stock is up. However, if the Cards are turning down interest, then perhaps they are planning to hold him to see if the 2027 club emerges as a contender. If he stays healthy and productive but the team falls out of the race, they could give more serious consideration to a trade at next year’s deadline or in the subsequent offseason. Then again, a stronger offer later in the offseason could perhaps compel them to change their minds. Winn’s situation is slightly different. He is still under club control for another three years, so it’s much more likely the Cards are contending in his window. However, they could have considered it anyway. JJ Wetherholt came up as a shortstop prospect. He mostly played second base this year in deference to Winn and had a good season. He was about league average at the plate with strong defense and baserunning. In theory, the Cards could have traded Winn and moved Wetherholt over to short. This winter’s shortstop market is weak, with no real everyday options available in free agency. The Cards would surely have lots of interest if they put Winn out there. They then could have found a second base replacement, either from within the system or on the open market. But given the framing here, it doesn’t seem as though they have much interest in pursuing that kind of plan, unless the get a better offer in the coming weeks and months. Trading a catcher is much more likely. The Cards simply have too many options back there. It seems they plan to have Leo Bernal be their top option in 2027. Top prospect Rainiel Rodriguez will likely be in Triple-A next year and knocking on the door. That leaves Iván Herrera, Crooks and Pages as potential trade chips. Herrera’s value is complicated. He’s a solid hitter but he’s one of the worst catchers in the league at controlling the running game. He might be destined to be a designated hitter who catches only occasionally. Crooks and Pagés are more legitimate backstops and should be of interest to other clubs. Crooks got some Top 100 prospect attention on his way up the ladder. He is considered a strong defender but his bat is more questionable. He draws walks and hits some home runs but strikes out a lot. In 666 Triple-A plate appearances thus far, he has 29 home runs, an 11.3% walk rate, a .283/.371/.484 line and 125 wRC+ but a high 27.2% strikeout rate. In 195 big league plate appearances, he has a 33.3% strikeout rate and dismal .168/.231/.313 line. The pedigree should lead to trade interest but he’s not proven at the big league level yet. Pagés would likely be viewed as a more straightforward glove-first backup. He has strong defensive grades but has only hit .229/.275/.354 in his career. Goold also reports that the Cards are trying to suss out the trade value of infielder Nolan Gorman before next week’s non-tender deadline. Gorman has clear power but strikes out way too much. He’s coming off a dismal .184/.272/.308 showing this year. He is projected for a $3.4MM salary next year, which isn’t too appetizing on the heels of that 2026 season. There’s theoretically a bit of upside because he has an extra year of club control and hit 27 homers back in 2023. With a weak free agent market for third baseman, perhaps someone takes a flier but it wouldn’t be a shock to see him eventually non-tendered. Elsewhere, Goold notes the Cards have some interest in adding veteran arms to the pitching staff. He specifically mentions Tim Hill and old friend Andrew Kittredge as a couple of guys on the club’s radar. As the Cards have been rebuilding in recent years, they have usually signed some vets to short-term deals to patch up the staff and potentially flip those players later. May, Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek are some guys they have inked in this manner. Hill just posted a 4.60 earned run average with the Yankees. He doesn’t get huge strikeouts but generates weak contact and grounders. His 68.8% ground ball rate this year was the lowest of anyone who pitched at least four innings. Kittredge has a more balanced approach. He usually gets grounders and strikeouts at an above-average rate. His strikeouts declined in 2026 but he still managed to post a 3.64 ERA. Both pitchers will turn 37 soon and shouldn’t be too costly. Speaking of May, there’s been some speculation that the Cards could re-sign him and try to redo their 2026. The Cards gave him a $12.5MM deal and a rotation spot then flipped him and Romero to the Brewers for prospects. Goold writes that a reunion for 2027 is not expected as the Cards will probably look to find a similar outcome with a different pitcher. He mentions Kris Bubic as a speculative fit. Like May, Bubic has flashed talent but has also been very injury prone, so it’s a fair comp. Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images