With trade rumors surrounding the St. Louis Cardinals and a bevy of stars on the team, one player that has been coveted by other teams is second baseman Brendan Donovan. Though there have been discussions about potential offers for Donovan that the Cardinals will make, it could come as a surprise to some to see the interest others in the MLB have for the 28-year-old.
Donovan is coming off the best season of his career, recording a .287 batting average to go along with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs in 118 games. MLB insider Mark Feinsand would write his latest column about what was learned after the past Winter Meetings, with one point mentioning that Donovan is “one of the most popular trade targets,” along with the obvious reported ones in Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras.
What an offer would need to look like for Cardinals' Brendan Donovan
This tracks, as there have been many reports on the high interest level for Donovan, as many teams could use a second baseman as good as him. ESPN's MLB insider Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel would report that, besides Donovan being a “coveted” player in the market, the team won't be quick to move, unless “they receive an offer they simply can't refuse.”
“Donovan continues to be one of the most coveted trade candidates available, but the Cardinals are not inclined to move him unless they receive an offer they simply can’t refuse,” they wrote. “On the surface, it makes sense for St. Louis to trade their lone All-Star representative. Donovan is fresh off the best year of his career and will be a free agent after the 2027 season, a timeline multiple sources within the organization concede will not line up with the team’s next competitive window.”
It remains to be seen if St. Louis trades Donovan as the team looks to improve after finishing 78-84 last season.
