The St. Louis Cardinals have a month to push towards the postseason while also evaluating their current roster pieces. That evaluation period might be nearing the end for one of the Cardinals' left-handed outfielders, as Alec Burleson appears to have played his way into a long-term roster spot.
Manager Oli Marmol believes Alec Burleson is an indispensable piece for the Cardinals' future.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic conducted a survey that he has done around this time in previous seasons to determine how playoff competitors view their current rosters. This season, he asked front-office executives and managers to find their underrated but necessary player on their roster, and Cardinals manager Oli Marmol was the one to provide the answer to Bowden.