The St. Louis Cardinals did a great job in 2026 by letting the kids play. St. Louis boasted the second-youngest roster in baseball with an average age of 26.2 years old and this gave the front office an opportunity to see what they have in these young guys.
One guy who stood out above all else is outfielder Jordan Walker . There were some who questioned the Cardinals' decision to put him on the Opening Day roster after a tough stretch in Spring Training. But he loudly responded with the best season of his career so far. Walker was an All-Star and won the Home Run Derby and was one of the biggest feel-good stories of the 2026 season. Another guy who thrived was Alec Burleson , who was able to shift to first base full-time with Willson Contreras out the door.
Walker and Burleson both thrived in 2026 . But should they be in the long-term vision for the organization? Arguably, yes. But there is merit to the idea that these two would also be the Cardinals' top trade chips this offseason if the front office opted to go in that direction.
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) circles the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning of their game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday, September 25, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Walker is just 24 years old and is coming off a season in which he slashed .269/.327.466 with 29 home runs, 102 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and 33 doubles. Right now, he has just three seasons of team control left. What version of him will the Cardinals have moving forward? Is he the guy who struggled for three seasons to adjust to the majors? Or is he the guy who broke out in 2026? Arguably, he's the 2026 version. But if the Cardinals had any doubt at all, right now would be the time to deal. He's still so young and his trade value is at a peak right now. If he were to return to the version of himself that struggled for three seasons, his trade value would plummet.
Burleson is 27 years old and has two more seasons of control left. He was the most underrated first baseman in baseball in 2026. He slashed .279/.343/.473 with 26 home runs, 37 doubles and a league-leading 116 RBIs. Again, he has just two seasons of control left and his trade value is also at a peak.
If the Cardinals kept Walker and Burleson, they'd be a better team for it in 2027. If they opted to trade either, the return would be massive. Picture what St. Louis got from Brendan Donovan . They got Jurrangelo Cijntje, Tai Peete, Colton Ledbetter and two Competitive Balance Round B picks. Donovan had two seasons of control left at the time and was coming off a solid season in 2025. Walker and Burleson had better seasons in 2026. Burleson has the same number of years of team control left as Donovan did. Walker has more. If either was more likely to be moved, arguably it would be Burleson because he's older with less team control.
This isn't to say that the Cardinals should trade these guys. But there likely isn't anyone else on the roster with more trade value and who realistically could be moved.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/cardinals/onsi as Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson Are Cardinals' Most Logical Trade Candidates .
