With the Cardinals now beginning a full rebuilding period, if Brendan Donovan Still on the St. Louis roster as of Opening Day. With two years left on Donovan’s arbitration control, the Cards don’t necessarily have to move him this winter because they could wait until the trade deadline or even next offseason if offers over the next four months don’t come up to par. However, it’s hard to imagine Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom being short of interesting trade offers for Donovan, considering how many boxes the former All-Star signed for potential suitors.
age? Donovan turns 29 in January. salary? Donovan is expected to earn $5.4 during his second arbitration proceeding, so his total costs over the remaining two arbitration years should be in the $14 to $15 range at best. offense? Donovan has a career .282/.361/.411 slash line with a 119 wRC+ and 40 homers, and he has been one of the hardest strikeout players in the game during his four MLB seasons. defense? He won the NL Utility Player Gold Glove Award in 2022. Donovan can at least see action at multiple positions (all four infield spots and two corner outfield spots) while playing primarily at second base and left field.
There are some shortcomings to acknowledge, such as Donovan’s career split (.812 OPS right-handed pitching, .651 OPS left-handed pitching). Some teams may view left-handed hitting Donovan primarily as a strongside platoon player rather than a true everyday player. Even the Cardinals have limited his opportunities with lefties, both due to those splits and because the Cardinals also want to get some playing time for their right-handed bat.
Donovan’s injury history includes brace surgery at UCL, which kept him out for the final two months of the 2023 season, and a sports hernia surgery earlier this month as Donovan spent time on the injured list this season with a groin issue. While sports hernia surgery is usually straightforward and Donovan is expected to be in good shape by the start of spring training, rival clubs may prefer to wait until later in the offseason (or at least after the winter meetings) to ensure Donovan is fully ready. That means some teams may acquire other players during this period, which would take them out of the market for Donovan’s services.
Rebuilding a team like this white sox, rocky mountains, Nationalsand twin This possibility can be reasonably ruled out, as no one has any pressing reason to try to win a bidding war for Donovan’s services. Outside of this group, nearly every other team in baseball would be a fit for Donovan at least to some extent, so let’s break it down team by team…
If only they were in another department…
St. Louis has made a total of six trades with teams since the start of the 2004 season brewery, red man, pirateand Cubs. Three of the deals were low-level player cash transactions. None of these trades happened on Broome’s watch, and he wouldn’t be hanging up the phone if any of these NFC Central teams came forward with a very attractive offer. However, history suggests Donovan won’t be shipped to one of the Cardinals’ division rivals, even though he would be a good fit for any of that quartet. The Pirates and Reds in particular have big offensive needs and young pitching, and Donovan would be a good addition to Milwaukee’s infield profile, and even the Cubs could deploy Donovan at third base or the outfield.
unlikely suitor
Some readers may be surprised to see marlin The Miami Heat are outside of the rebuilding roster, but after a 79-win season, the Miami Heat don’t exactly fall into that category. Even with the Fish’s capital-R rebuilding period coming to an end, it’s still difficult to see the Fish making a bolder move like the Donovan trade, as the Marlins may not have reached the stage where they would give up prospects for more experienced talent.
this red sox, oriole, tigersand metropolis All will need to answer some questions about their position player mix, but these teams have placed a heavy emphasis on left-handed hitters. Other trades could change the equation, but these four teams will likely be looking for a right-handed bat before finding another noted left-handed swing player. this rattlesnake Mostly in the same boat, although there’s a slight chance Donovan could play third base if Arizona wanted to Jordan Laurel More experience or if Loral himself might have to address other needs (i.e. pitching).
this astros There was an urgent need for a left-handed hitter and there was interest in Donovan at this past trade deadline, but that was before Houston passed on a deal with Carlos Correa. between Correa, Jeremy Pena, Jose Altuve, Isaac Paredes, Christian Walker, Cam Smith in right field, Jordan Alvarez As the primary DH, Donovan doesn’t really have anywhere to get regular at-bats, unless the Astros might send out Paredes or Walker to free up space.
Maybe, after another trade?
Nick Allen Was a great defender but couldn’t hit the ball, so warriors is another team that could allow Donovan to take a longer look at shortstop. Right field would also be a logical part-time position for Donovan in Atlanta since he can spell Ronald Acuna Jr. Occasionally, Acuna will have a DH day. The most interesting position is second base. Donovan is an upgraded version of second base. Ozzie Albiesbut the Warriors first have to trade Albies to clear the cornerstone. Some of the teams interested in Donovan may also be interested in Albies, but it would be more difficult for the Braves to complete the two-step process of first moving Albies and then convincing the Cardinals to move Donovan before other suitors emerge.
this ray Somewhat similar to the following situation Brandon Loweanother trade candidate who is owed $11.5MM in his final year with team control. Tampa Bay would probably prefer to trade Lowe first to open up second base as Donovan’s primary position, but the Rays could also trade at shortstop and outfield (or even first base, if Yandy Diaz being traded).
this Guardian’s The priority this winter should be finding any type of hitter, and Donovan is also the kind of versatile contact hitter the backs love. The problem is that the backing corps already has a lot of lefties or switch hitters. Cleveland could try a variety of trades, trading a right-handed hitter from left-hand or infield depth and pitching for Donovan, but just getting a couple of right-handed bats to stop completely seems like the smoother option.
Donovan’s past trade suitors
Now that we’ve mentioned Houston’s past interest in Donovan, let’s dedicate this space to five other teams that have been linked to the All-Star over the years. Apparently, more teams besides this one have inquired with the Cardinals about Donovan, but those teams have all been specifically designated as interested.
this yankees Donovan has been linked to Donovan multiple times, most recently at the trade deadline this past and as early as the 2023-24 offseason. This record of interest means New York can’t be ruled out of the market for Donovan, but a few other moves have the Yankees taking the left-handed hitting infielder seriously — Ryan McMahon, little jazz chisholm and Ben Rice All swing from the left side. That said, New York could use Donovan in left field if Jason Dominguez Not considered ready for regular time, or Donovan could get some work at shortstop Anthony Volpe Recovering from shoulder surgery. Of all the positions Donovan has played at the MLB level, he has spent the least time at shortstop, playing just 106 innings.
this phillies and dodgers Both were reportedly interested in Donovan ahead of this summer’s trade deadline. Donovan could play third base for Philly if Alec Bohm Move or position in either corner outfield as some space in the outfield will be open once the Phillies Nick Castellanos Gone. Left field is the most logical space for Donovan in the Dodgers’ lineup, but Los Angeles may be eager to move Donovan to multiple positions for platoon or timeshare purposes.
this blue jays and sports The two had some discussions with the Cardinals about Donovan as early as the 2022-23 offseason, when Donovan had just finished third in NFC Rookie of the Year voting. Fast forward to this winter, and every team still has needs. Toronto could incorporate Donovan into its multi-player platoon system at second base, third base and the corner outfield positions. if Beau Bichette Remaining on the free agent market, Donovan will likely become the Jayhawks’ primary second baseman, Andres Jimenez Moved to shortstop role.
The Athletics have big holes at second and third base, and Donovan’s salary fits within the club’s limited budget. Perhaps the question here is whether the Athletics would make this kind of win-now deal before the team moves to Las Vegas, where for a player like Donovan, his arbitration control won’t extend beyond the Athletics’ time in Sacramento.
Cleanest fit
this Angel The team with the highest strikeout rate in baseball in 2025 is one of the league’s worst hitting teams overall, with a lineup overloaded with right-handed hitters and no clear candidates at second or third base. All things considered, Donovan might be a better fit for the Angels than any other club, though that’s probably not surprising considering the Halos struggle in so many departments. Unfortunately, the farm system is another weak department, so it would be difficult for Los Angeles to outbid other teams if it ends up in a potential bidding war.
this giants Can Donovan be the new starting second baseman while still using Kathy Schmidt Supplementing the right hand to protect Donovan from some lefties. Heliot Ramos is another right-handed hitter who remains San Francisco’s go-to option in left field, but Donovan could easily get some time in both left field and the Giants’ wide right-field opening.
highly regarded prospect Cole Young and Colt Emerson may be future mariners In the infield, both are left-handed hitters like Donovan. However, a Seattle team in “win now” mode might prefer to add Donovan to address current needs at second and third base. Donovan’s remaining two free throw years open the door for Young and Emerson as long-term options, and Donovan’s ability to play both infield spots would allow the Mariners to also give Young, Emerson (who has yet to make his MLB debut), or Ben Williamson Some batters on the keystone or in the hot corner.
and Louis Alas Entering the free agent market, priest Will look for new first baseman, or they could move Jack Cronenworth From second base to first base. A deal for Donovan would fit into the latter scenario, and while the Padres might not take advantage of Donovan’s versatility as much as other teams, he could still be moved around the diamond when either scenario arises. Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr.or (which may be reserved) Ramon Laureano Rest day or DH day.
this rangers There could be more left-handed balance in the lineup, more work to do on a limited budget this offseason, and a focus on better situational hitting and contact hitting, so Donovan would be a perfect fit all around. Marcus Semien There’s still second base at Arlington, but Donovan could be used at third (if Josh Jung being traded) or in the outfield (Adolis Garcia Transaction or non-tender expected).
With the Cardinals’ history of trading with NFC Central opponents mentioned earlier, it’s worth noting that the Cardinals don’t often trade with NFC Central opponents either. Royalstheir fellow Missourians. If geography wasn’t a huge obstacle, Donovan would be a big help to a Royals clubhouse that’s in dire need of an outfielder, and second base could also be a need if Kansas City decides to move on. Jonathan India and/or michael massey.
