4 Cardinals who should be part of the future if potential teardown happens

The St Louis Cardinals are in the waning years of a once-powerful team. Veteran slugger Paul Goldschmidt will be a free agent at the end of this year and club options on Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, and Kenyan Middleton will be coming due. In addition, Erick Fedde, Ryan Helsley, and Miles Mikolas will be free agents the following year.

The Cardinals are currently 4.5 games back for both the NL Central lead and the Wild Card race, tied with the Cincinnati Reds. With their falling postseason viability for not only this year but years to come as well as important, looming free agencies, a selloff might be inevitable. But of those valuable pieces on the trading block, who should the Cardinals keep?

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4. Masyn Winn is an important part of the Cardinals future

This year’s glimpse of what Masyn Winn might hold for the future has been very promising. After getting called up last year, Winn’s performance was anticlimactic. But this year is different. Winn maintains a .277/.327/.423 with 11 HR through 430 ABs. His batting average has cooled by a lot, but he is now finding his power with four home runs in the last 15 games. While Winn appears to be a solid hitter, he has also been known for his speed. Unfortunately, his 10-5 stolen base record doesn’t leave much to be excited about. However, Winn is a 22-year-old rookie. What we see from him this season may only be scratching the surface.

Winn posted .300+ batting averages in the months of April and May, not including a .333 AVG during the short span in March. Earlier in the year, Winn was considered a legitimate NL Rookie of the Year contender. His decline plus the arrival of Paul Skenes has all but dashed his chances.

Still, Winn brings a skillset to the Cardinals that they lack. And since he is only a rookie, the Cardinals have control over him for the foreseeable future. He is a must keep for St Louis.

3. Alec Burleson won't be going anywhere

Usually, it’s Paul Goldschmidt or Nolan Arenado that command the attention in St Louis. However, this season, Alec Burleson has been the Cardinals’ main offensive engine. Burleson is slashing .278/.311/.465 with 21 HR through 417 ABs. He has come a long way since coming up two years ago. Last year, he only hit 8 HR to the tune of a .244 AVG through 315 ABs. With Goldschmidt likely leaving, the Cardinals are going to have a massive hole in their already mediocre lineup. Luckily, with Burleson on the team, they will have options. Burleson has spent time in both corner outfield positions as well as first base. His versatility might mean the Cardinals could add another outfielder if they want to.

Trading Burleson, while it may bring a great package, would be sacrificing what the Cardinals have been trying to build in it’s entirety. But there is another strong reason to keep him that compliments Burleson’s newly found slugging ability.

Burleson is under contract through 2028. He not only has the ability to keep the Cardinals afloat offensively, but he is signed for the foreseeable future making him one of the Cardinals’ most valuable players. If the Cardinals are going to rebuild, they should do so around Burleson.  

2. Sonny Gray is under contract long term for a reason

Sonny Gray has been the Cardinals’ ace since he landed in St. Louis. His 3.93 ERA through 130.2 innings this season might not be very satisfying, but before Erick Fedde came along, he maintained the lowest ERA on the team by a decent margin. Gray’s 162 strikeouts are tied for fourth in the NL, seventh overall. Gray came off a 2023 season where he pitched to a 2.79 ERA, his second-best season in his 12-year career. He placed second in the Cy young voting, even garnering MVP votes.

The Cardinals brought Erick Fedde aboard before the trade deadline to anchor their struggling rotation. The one-two punch of Gray and Fedde should now give the Cardinals a fighting chance in the postseason. With another year of Fedde on the books next season, it wouldn’t make sense for the Cardinals to harpoon their pitching staff to build for the future.

Gray is currently signed through 2026 with a club option for 2027. Whether or not the Cardinals pursue more pitching help, they will likely need Gray to stabilize their rotation. Gray still has a career ERA of 3.51. Better years still may be ahead of him.

1. Willson Contreras will be the Cardinals backstop next season

Veteran backstop Willson Contreras came from his longtime home in Chicago to St Louis last season. He is currently slashing .263/.377/.480 with 15 HR through 281 ABs. Having a catcher that can hit 20+ HRs a year is luxury in today’s game and that is what Contreras does with plenty of consistency. In addition, Contreras has always been a plus defender behind the dish.

Contreras missed some time this season with a fractured forearm. Had he not been injured, his numbers would most likely be more impressive. Still, he is making the most of it. His .377 OBP and .480 SLG lead the Cardinals in both categories. In addition, his 18.73 is lowest AB/HR ratio on the team (AB/HR means at-bats per home runs, a lower number is better). His presence at the top of the Cardinals’ batting order has been key for the Cardinals whose offense has been struggling all year.

Adding to his productive season is the fact that he is under club control through 2028 giving the Cardinals plenty of control. Should the Cardinals part with Contreras, they would be losing one of the best catchers offensively and defensively in the game today.