LF and 3B seem to be the question marks

[zuck698]

And he had NEVER been good defensively at 1B...NEVER. The STATS don't lie. He's just below average, which isn't good.

I can live with Burleson at 1B.

I can live with anyone at 1B this year and next. After that, if we're serious about being a good/real team....then I can't live with it.

To be fair, he's only played 89 games at 1B in his professional career. It may be early to determine his potential to play the position.

to be fair...he's been below average his entire baseball career (collegiate/pro/sandlot) in LF/RF, 1B...and off the mound.

It is what it is...we can paint excuses all day.

I will not deny he can put the ball in play very well, and probably our 3rd or 4th best offensive player at the moment. Right now, he's the only option outside of Gorman for 1B...so again, I'm okay with whomever they put at 1B the next 2 years. After that...reassess for better options.

And NO...I don't want short 1B at 1B. So if they're under 6'0"...we can't just stick them there

"and probably our 3rd or 4th best offensive player at the moment". Please list three players on the Cardinals' team that you consider better offensive players than Burleson. Frankly, I can't see any of them that are clearly better than Burleson.

"3rd or 4th best"...so I only need to list 2:

Ivan and JJ...that's easy and obvious.

It's not as easy and obvious as you think. And if other posters are being honest, it probably isn't easy and obvious to them either. So it's not three Cardinals' players that you feel are better offensive players than Burleson like you alluded to the possibility. Is that correct? Just trying to cut through your krap.

JJ and Ivan are better. You think Saggese has won the LF job, solely based off being a Texas League MVP in 2023. If that's true, then Crooks will also be better than Burleson, and Torres who was robbed by Crooks for 2024 Texas League MVP will be better than Burleson. Maybe we should give Moises Gomez another try he was Texas League MVP in 2022...by your standards that means greatness. Winn hasn't even touched his Prime, and he's due for an uptick in offense...so he may be better than Burleson.

It's a matter of opinion as to who is the better hitter, Herrera or Burleson. And Wetherholt hasn't even taken an official MLB AB as yet. And I get it. I like Burleson and Saggese. So that means you don't like Burleson and Saggese. You are a trip. Who's your pick for LF, right now?

Where did I say I didn't like Saggese or Burleson? You ask questions, I answer...then you assume "The World vs. Shady". Get over yourself. JJ and Ivan are better hitters. That's not a knock on Burleson, it's a genuine talent gap. And I was using your current metric for greatness "Texas League MVP from yesteryear"....if you have a better metric then let us know. I try using Defensive Saber stats and offensive WAR stats, but you tend to ignore those for a more unrealistic, heavy on the hyperbolic approach.

"JJ and Ivan are better hitters" That's just your opinion. I have mine. And Wetherholt still has to prove himself as a MLB hitter. Burleson already has. Wouldn't you, at least, agree with that? Why don't we see how the actual production goes this season? Then compare Herrera, Wetherholt and Burleson. Let's see if Wetherholt can match Burleson's .290 BA last season in the MLB. By the way. You might be the one that needs to "Get over yourself".

You may have missed this breaking news Shady, while you were playing with your "Utility Slugger" bobblehead. But anyway, BA is akin to Wins for starting pitchers here in the 2020"s. Oh, and I will bet you that JJ will have a greater OPS than Burly will this year, regardless of BA. You want that bet Shadester?

[rockondlouie]

Without getting into a lot of wordy drama- Burleson is a good hitter, Herrera and Wetherholt are better.

+1

And w/way more upside.

[Cusecards]

We don't have a long-term plan at any of the four corners. (And yes, that includes Burleson)

You are "out to lunch" regarding Burleson. He will be entrenched at 1B for the Cardinals for a long time.

All it takes is for Herrera to fail at catcher but still have an unbelievable bat for Burleson to be pushed back to the OF or traded.

Bold prediction: I don't think AB is a Cardinal in 2027.

Burleson has a better chance to be extended by then.

Why?

Like I posted, "Maybe a three or four year deal taking him through his prime seasons". Hitters like Burleson "don't grow on trees". Especially, those that come through the Cardinals organization lately. Plus, I believe Burleson will surface as a team leader.

You could argue that Herrera grows on a better tree. And may need a position.

When debating roster spots, try and leave emotion out of it. That's usually a road to nowhere.

Emotions aside. Speaking of roster positioning. The Cardinals' brass seem to like Burleson even more than I do as a player for the organization. Trading away Contreras to open up 1B for Burleson just might confirm that. Contreras was coming off a pretty good season, he wasn't real old or real expensive. He was good, defensively, at 1B. And the Cardinals could still have used Contreras' power production. Yes, the Cardinals' organization really seem to like Alec Burleson.

With all due respect.....and I like Burleson.....but nobody likes him more than you do!

I like Burleson about as much as craviduce dislikes him. Let's see, by actual production, who is more accurate. Last season, it was +1 for Shady. And Burleson is only 27. craviduce feels Burleson has peaked. I say that's ridiculous at 27.

Ok

[renostl]

And he had NEVER been good defensively at 1B...NEVER. The STATS don't lie. He's just below average, which isn't good.

I can live with Burleson at 1B.

I can live with anyone at 1B this year and next. After that, if we're serious about being a good/real team....then I can't live with it.

To be fair, he's only played 89 games at 1B in his professional career. It may be early to determine his potential to play the position.

to be fair...he's been below average his entire baseball career (collegiate/pro/sandlot) in LF/RF, 1B...and off the mound.

It is what it is...we can paint excuses all day.

I will not deny he can put the ball in play very well, and probably our 3rd or 4th best offensive player at the moment. Right now, he's the only option outside of Gorman for 1B...so again, I'm okay with whomever they put at 1B the next 2 years. After that...reassess for better options.

And NO...I don't want short 1B at 1B. So if they're under 6'0"...we can't just stick them there

"and probably our 3rd or 4th best offensive player at the moment". Please list three players on the Cardinals' team that you consider better offensive players than Burleson. Frankly, I can't see any of them that are clearly better than Burleson.

"3rd or 4th best"...so I only need to list 2:

Ivan and JJ...that's easy and obvious.

It's not as easy and obvious as you think. And if other posters are being honest, it probably isn't easy and obvious to them either. So it's not three Cardinals' players that you feel are better offensive players than Burleson like you alluded to the possibility. Is that correct? Just trying to cut through your krap.

JJ and Ivan are better. You think Saggese has won the LF job, solely based off being a Texas League MVP in 2023. If that's true, then Crooks will also be better than Burleson, and Torres who was robbed by Crooks for 2024 Texas League MVP will be better than Burleson. Maybe we should give Moises Gomez another try he was Texas League MVP in 2022...by your standards that means greatness. Winn hasn't even touched his Prime, and he's due for an uptick in offense...so he may be better than Burleson.

It's a matter of opinion as to who is the better hitter, Herrera or Burleson. And Wetherholt hasn't even taken an official MLB AB as yet. And I get it. I like Burleson and Saggese. So that means you don't like Burleson and Saggese. You are a trip. Who's your pick for LF, right now?

Where did I say I didn't like Saggese or Burleson? You ask questions, I answer...then you assume "The World vs. Shady". Get over yourself. JJ and Ivan are better hitters. That's not a knock on Burleson, it's a genuine talent gap. And I was using your current metric for greatness "Texas League MVP from yesteryear"....if you have a better metric then let us know. I try using Defensive Saber stats and offensive WAR stats, but you tend to ignore those for a more unrealistic, heavy on the hyperbolic approach.

"JJ and Ivan are better hitters" That's just your opinion. I have mine. And Wetherholt still has to prove himself as a MLB hitter. Burleson already has. Wouldn't you, at least, agree with that? Why don't we see how the actual production goes this season? Then compare Herrera, Wetherholt and Burleson. Let's see if Wetherholt can match Burleson's .290 BA last season in the MLB. By the way. You might be the one that needs to "Get over yourself".

JJ batting .290 would be a more of an offensive weapon than Burleson. VS2 hitting
.290 would also be more of an offensive weapon. It is what makes the .290 BA that matters
with AB and his game.

There is a 1B on the other side of the state that provides more what AB should be moving towards.
It is within the possibilities that he can achieve that kind of a game with some adjustments in
his approach. This season will shed more light on if this is what Burleson is or if he can become
even more valuable to the Cardinals and his career.

Burleson's ratio batting in XBH%, X/H% and HR% are average +/-. Increasing those would increase
his total bases, his R's and his RBI's. It makes his hit tool more valuable inside that .290 BA, in fact
it can even drop and he'd could be more productive. Burleson needs to continue to move his game
forward with his profile since bat is his calling card, imo.

AB = XBH 8.4%, X/H 32%, HR 3.3 % in 2025
VP = XBH 9.7%, X/H 40%, HR 4.7% in 2025

So not comping AB to somebody he can't match or exceed. It is a direction to go more SLG, imo.