Cardinals' pair of left-handed-hitting outfielders could be dealt in offseason

Cardinals' pair of left-handed-hitting outfielders could be dealt in offseason originally appeared on The Sporting News

The St. Louis Cardinals are going into an offseason where a lot of changes could be on the table. With the departure of John Mozeliak and with the new president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, taking over, the Cardinals could make some difficult decisions.

One of those potential tough decisions has been gaining traction lately, as Zach Pressnell of Sports Illustrated pointed out. St. Louis could look to part ways with either of their left-handed-hitting outfielders: Lars Nootbaar or Alec Burleson.

Of the two potential trade chips, Pressnell viewed Burleson as the more sensible decision for multiple reasons, the first of which revolves around defense.

"Trading Burleson makes a bit more sense because he's more reliant on being a designated hitter than Nootbaar." Pressnell writes. "Nootbaar provides solid outfield defense while Burleson doesn't."

Aside from the defensive side of things, Burleson makes more sense in a deal than Nootbaar thanks to his better offensive prowess, which would likely lead to a better return.

"Trading Burleson would likely net the Cardinals a bit more in return." Pressnell writes. "It's likely the Cardinals will be open to trading nearly everybody in the offseason, but Burleson makes the most sense as a trade chip."

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With Bloom at the helm, St. Louis could be in store for some major changes. A trade of either Burleson or Nootbaar, thanks to deep prospect depth, and the ability to reshuffle the outfield, Bloom could eye both lefty outfielders as trade chips.

Ideally, Bloom could land a controllable starting pitcher in the offseason using these two outfielders in a trade. Both are under team control for a few more years, with Nootbaar through 2027 and Burleson through 2028.

Burleson is 26 years old, while Nootbaar is 27, about to turn 28. If St. Louis were to deal one of the two, Burleson will likely net the best return, as Pressnell mentioned. 

With the influx of younger talent, there's little reason to keep so many outfielders. One of these two would likely be on their way out, and of the two, Burleson makes the most sense to trade away.

It's a bittersweet decision for the Cardinals, but it could help land a much-needed improvement in the rotation. This winter is shaping up to be a busy one in St. Louis, and Burleson or Nootbaar could be on their way out if Bloom makes such a decision.

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