The Seattle Mariners need a new infield asset and Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals is the go-to guy. The Mariners are in urgent need of a batter who can bring in runs and offer lineup stability after a very gloomy postseason. Donovan provides the Cardinals a road to reconstruct their team while the Mariners get the offensive upgrade that they need to survive in the AL West.
The Cardinals are a team in transition as per indications from the MLB Winter Meetings. They have shown that they are ready to trade off their veteran players, and Donovan is the kind of player that Seattle would want to acquire. Together with his team, his skills in contacting the ball and his ability to get on base make him a perfect candidate for a team that wants to instantly increase its run production.
The Blockbuster Move for Brendan Donovan
Seattle Receives:
- 2B Brendan Donovan
St. Louis Receives:
- RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje
- OF Lazaro Montes
The Mariners would be the ones to have Brendan Donovan in exchange. This design satisfies both sides' requirements while at the same time handling the existing organizational assets that have substantial potential but an uncertain timeline of contribution to the major league level.
Why This Deal Makes The Most Sense
One of the most important things that should be noted about Donovan is his batter's consistency. He had 31 doubles in the 2025 season, which is a testament to his power-hitting ability and to the value he can create on the offensive side with his hits. The .287 batting average together with .354 on-base percentage are the best evidence of his being a trustworthy player in the clutch situations when the Mariners are in dire need of making productive runs.
The Mariners have made heavy investments in their prospect pipeline, but it should be kept in mind that prospects do not guarantee wins in the present. Donovan is a proven major league player who has the ability of filling the lineup and making the team win immediately. Seattle's window for winning the championship is open at this very moment and therefore they are in need of experienced players that can be the companions of their already established stars in the competition.
On the other hand, for St. Louis, the signing of Cijntje and Montes is an eye-opening experience of what could be the future. What is unique about Cijntje is his ambidextrous ability as a pitcher which is a versatility that hardly any other pitchers have, and it is this very versatility that could be the defining factor of the Cardinals' rotation for the next ten years. The 2024 first-round pick of the Mariners has already proven himself as a very accurate strike-thrower and has been able to register good strikeout number as a starter.
Montes is the one who brings the kind of power potential that every front office dreams of with him. The Cuban-born prospect holds plus-plus power raw and has already demonstrated that he can go long even against good opponents. At the tender age of 20, Montes has the time for defensive development while his offensive ceiling is still sky-high. The way he is going through the minor leagues right now indicates that he could be a game-changer in three to four years.
What makes the trade more attractive for St. Louis is the money in the international signing pool through which they could afford to sign more international talents and speed up the process of their rebuilding. This extra resource could enable the Cardinals to invest more in the young players that fit their long-term plans better.
Seattle is right to ask for a guy like that now at this moment – a skilled, professional hitter who can bat in the middle of the order and drive in runs. The Mariners have been very patient waiting for their prospects to mature into contributors worthy of a championship. Donovan turns Seattle's offense into one of the scariest units in the game.
This trade is just the right mix of balance between the present and the future.
With this trade, the Mariners solve their most pressing offensive problems right away, and the Cardinals get two highly promising young players and valuable international signing allocation in return. Both teams are content with the agreement and are looking forward to their respective futures with optimism.
