Could Cardinals ship out Alec Burleson at deadline after Marlins walk-off loss?

The St. Louis Cardinals were dealt a rough hand against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, as one of their most consistent starting pitchers -- Kyle Gibson -- was scratched before the first pitch. A bullpen game turned into a disaster in the bottom of the ninth thanks to Alec Burleson, who failed to throw home on what would've been a close play at the plate.

Gibson and his Cardinals teammates, for the most part, took the high road. Mistakes happen even at the professional level of the sport, and Burleson is no exception.

“Obviously disappointed we didn't win the series,” said Nolan Arenado. “Every game was close. We had some games where we played well and, you know, we didn't pitch well. And we had some games where we couldn't score runs like today.”

With another series loss, are Cardinals closer to selling at the trade deadline?

We could play this game series by series, as St. Louis is floating around .500 and very much involved in the NL Wild Card race, and it's late June. By the MLB trade deadline fans should have a better idea as to which teams will buy, and which will sell off assets to retool for next year. Right now, though, John Mozeliak and the Cards sound intent on adding.

Mozeliak identified a No. 5 starting pitcher and a right-handed hitting outfielder as two potential needs. Pitchers like Erick Fedde of the rebuilding White Sox have been connected to St. Louis, and for good reason. The White Sox are one of only a few teams which are clear sellers.

In return for pitching, the Cardinals may have to trade from one of their strengths, which could include Burleson. The 25-year-old was mentioned in theoretical trade chatter as recently as this past winter.

Burleson has been one of the Cards more productive outfielders offensively, despite his blunder in the field on Wednesday. With a .732 OPS and double-digit home runs, trading Burleson might not be the right move, especially if fueled by emotion.

Nonetheless, Burleson is one of the Cardinals more expensive assets. If they sell in any regard, Burleson has three years left on his current contract term and is improving with age.