The Next Big MLB Trade Is…
Brendan Donovan is the hottest trade candidate in all of Major League Baseball this offseason. With the St. Louis Cardinals rebuilding in their first year of Heim Bloom’s leadership, the front office is looking to maximize the value of their trade assets in order to bill for the future. They recently flipped starting pitcher Sunny Gray to the Boston Red Sox for young pitching. And by all reports, they’d like to do the same with Donovan. Donovan is coming off an all-star season, is the exact type of player that every contender wants on their team. He’s been 20% above league average at the plate in his career with potentially even more room to grow offensively and plays good defense across the infield and the corner outfield spots. It’s hard to find a great bat with that level of versatility in today’s game. While there’s certainly an argument for the Cardinals to hold on to Donovan and build around him with two years of club control remaining and his 29th birthday on the horizon, the Cardinals don’t sound like they’re planning on extending him. So cashing in on his value now if the right offer comes seems like the most likely scenario. Upwards of 20 teams have shown interest in trading for Donovan this off seasonason. But which teams present the Cardinals with the best offer and could really use Donovan on the roster? We’re going to talk about five teams he could possibly be traded to this offseason and what potential deals for Donovan could look like. Welcome to Deal in the Cards, a St. Louis Cardinal podcast that covers the team year round. I’m Josh Jacobs and I’m joined by Sandy McMillan today, one of the other hosts of our podcast to break down five different teams who would be great fits for a Brendan Donovan trade. The Cardinals have a high asking price for Donovan and are hoping to have a deal centered around young, high upside starting pitching. With that in mind, Sandy, who is the first team you see as a fit in a Donovan trade? Yeah, the first team I see is coming off of their second consecutive World Series title, and that’s the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, I know you’re saying this is a great roster. They probably don’t need help. But that’s not true. The Dodgers, if they’ve shown us anything, it’s that they like to augment what’s already great. Last year after winning the World Series, they went into the off season and they spent a billion dollars. So, expect them to be active again. And now remember, while the Dodgers team is full of stars, their lineup could still use some lengthening out. Sure, they’ve got Show Otani, Freddy Freeman, Mookie Betts, but Brendan Donovan is the type of piece that can hit anywhere in your lineup, and he can do what Miguel Rojos or some of these other role players did for the Dodgers last year, but he can do it even better. So, I think he makes a ton of sense for them to acquire. They’ve also got room in their infield and Donovan as a utility player. Uh he could slot in in your outfield, he could slot in in your infield. He can do really just about anything and he does it at a high level. Uh in terms of why the Cardinals be interested here, the Dodgers have one of baseball’s best farm systems. Um they’ve got top prospects. They’ve got tons of depth and so I think that they could come together on a deal here. So some of the names that I think the Cardinals would be particularly interested in, right, um would be, for example, Jackson Ferris. He’s a left-handed pitcher who topped out this year in double A. Um the Dodgers acquired him from the Cubs, I believe, in the Michael Bush trade uh a couple of years ago. So, he’s a stud. There’s serious pedigree here. He now ranks in MLB pipelines top 100. Um but I think the Cardinals are going to be looking for a blend of young pitching and MLB ready talent, right? So, think about what they got back for Sunny Gray where you get Richard Fitz who’s got some control. He’s already established himself as a guy that can play a role on an MLB roster, which the Cardinals will need. They have to fill some innings this year, but they also got Brandon Clark, more of a higher upside, high ceiling guy who someday could pitch the perne rotation. And I think they build something similar to that uh for this Brendan Donovan trade. So, if you think about, for example, a River Ryan, he’s a guy that’s already pitched at the big league level. He’s 27, but there’s a little more to like here than there is with Richard Fitz. He’s got a great fast ball, a very solid slider as his second pitch. He’s also flashed plus a plus curve ball, a plus cutter, and a plus change up. So, there’s a ton to like in this arsenal. And I think this is the type of deal the Cardinals could come together with the Dodgers on. So, I think uh something that could make a little bit of sense is a Jackson Ferris plus a River Ryan. Now, it’s possible they don’t go that direction. They’ve acquired a lot of pitching lately. So, if the Cardinals decide not to look after young pitching, there are some other interesting names here, including Emil Morales, who’s a young shortstop in the Dodgers system, uh, or perhaps Kellum Lindsay, another young shortstop. The Cardinals need to stock up on athletes for their system, and they need to do that at the low levels. Yeah, and the Dodgers have a ton of starting pitching already on the roster between Blake Snell, Tyler Classell, Yoshino Yamamoto, all these different types of guys. So, for them to consolidate some of these prospects into a Brendan Donovan where their lineup actually almost cost them a World Series this time around. to add Brendan Donovan with the flexibility he has, the versatility, makes a ton of sense for the Dodgers. Another big market team that’s had a lot of interest in Brendan Donovan in the past is the New York Yankees. The Yankees have one of the oldest rosters in baseball and already running a high payroll. So, grabbing a player like Donovan to add an infusion of talent to their starting roster and can fill multiple positions would be a huge win. While the Yankees already have multiple highlevel left-handed bats, they did finish 15th in on base percentage and 19th in batting average from the left side. So bringing in a player like Donovan would be a massive boost to their on base skills, particularly against right-handed pitching. U this would allow the Yankees to get creative with roster building this off season, potentially flipping a different position player in a deal or increasing the roster depth for a long 162 game season with that older roster. Uh for the Cardinals, the Yankees have a wealth of young starting pitching on their major league roster and in their farm system. Um Cam Schutler is likely off limits even though it’d be so fun to get an arm like that, but they still have other names like Luis Heel who won rookie of the year already. Will Warren and Clark Schmidt on their major league roster. Plus, they have a ton of high upside near MLB ready arms like Carlos Arange, Elmo Rodriguez, Bryce Cunningham, Ben Hes, Chase Hampton. They’re probably one of the best teams in baseball in terms of being loaded with young pitching. It makes them a perfect trade partner for the Cardinals. uh for the Cardinals to part with Donovan in a deal with the Yankees, I would imagine it would take one of their current MLB arms like a Will Warren paired with a big-time arm in their system like either Ben Hess or Elmer Rodriguez. Um and while that may sound like a lot, the Cardinals just got a big league arm like you talked about Sandy with five years of control and Richard Fitz and a very high upside arm and Brandon Clark from the Boston Red Sox for Sunny Gray. And while the Cardinals did have to eat $20 million dollars on that deal, the Red Sox still owed Sunny Gray 20 million as well for 2026 and have a big mutual option for 2027, Donovan is a better player on a cheaper deal. Um, and they’ll have for two years of club control. And so I think acquiring a guy or two arms like that from the Yankees for Brendon Donovan, if that’s what the Cardinals already got for Sunny Gray, makes a ton of sense. I love you including the Yankees on this list. I think that makes a ton of sense. They’ve been linked to Donovan multiple times over the past few years and I just think this is somewhere Brendan Donovan could be playing next year. I like the inclusion of Will Warren. I think that’s the name that I really laser in on when I look at the Yankees and think about who could be coming back. So, yeah, I think that’s definitely a possibility. Another team that’s been linked to Brendan Donovan several times over the past few years is the Seattle Mariners. Now, the Mariners had probably their best season, I don’t know, in our lifetime at least. Um, I mean, going back to 2001, of course, but they they reached the ALCS. They had a real chance to play in the World Series this year for the first time in franchise history, and they’re going to be aggressive this offseason, trying to improve this roster and extend this competitive window. The way the Mariners have done this so far has been all with pitching, right? They’ve developed Brian Woo, they’ve developed Logan Gilbert, they’ve developed George Kirby, they’ve got a ton of studs. Even farther down, you look at Emerson Hancock. And this farm system is loaded. According to a lot of outlets, the Mariners have the number one farm system in baseball, meaning they’ve got tons of prospect capital and they’re going to be able to go out and bring in real talent. Now, when you think about the Mariners lineup, clearly the weak part of this team last year. At the deadline, they were able to fortify that lineup by adding Ao Suarez and Josh Naylor, but Suarez has departed in free agency. They were able to retain Naylor, but that’s not really going to impact their infield plans, which is exactly where I think a Brendan Donovan could fit in. Suarez has primarily been a third baseman throughout his career and that’s a position Donovan plays really well and even if they don’t need him there like we’ve said before as a player with his kind of versatility he’s valuable all over the place. So the Mariners could easily find a spot for him and this lineup really needs it. Uh Donovan while he doesn’t hit a ton of home runs hits a lot of doubles and that’s very valuable. He’s also like Josh said great at getting on base. These are all things Seattle could use. Now when you think about the Mariners farm system there’s a ton of great arms. I don’t think they’re going to be willing to part with any of their big arms on the MLB roster. And that makes a lot of sense. You know, uh Luis Castillo wouldn’t even fit the Cardinals timeline and there’s just no way they’re going to be moving on from Brian Woo. I’ve heard that name mentioned. I would disregard that. I don’t think it’s realistic. They could move on from Bryce Miller. Uh but I don’t think that’s where the Cardinals should go. I think the Cardinals should really think about their competitive window and when they want this to open up and they should be targeting guys uh maybe a little farther down or with more control. And so one of the names that comes to mind is Ryan Sloan. Sloan is very exciting. He’s got a great fast ball, a very solid slider. He’s got a big frame and he’s he’s a really exciting prospect. He topped out this year in a advanced and and really had some great stuff. The stuff is off the charts. U this is a second round pick from 2024 from the right side. Has some real velocity. I think it makes a lot of sense for the Cardinals to target a guy like him. While Ryan Sloan is a really exciting prospect, I think the Cardinals can get more for Brendan Donovan and I think they’re going to be looking to pair a second player, maybe another athlete who’s a little farther down in the system. I look at a young shortstop like Nick Becker. He’s drafted out of high school. He had the chance to play in college, uh was highly recruited, but I think this is a guy that the Cardinals could really like. There’s a lot of power in this bat. Sure, he’s not quite as polished as some of the other options, but I think he fits their timeline really well. He’s only 18 years old. He was drafted in the second round this year. uh and he has produced uh not not too well, but it’s not like he totally floundered early on in his minor league career. So, I think this is a guy the Cardinals could look at, somebody that they could say it’s a young guy that fits our timeline really well. He might be ready, say, in 2029 or 2030, right when the Cardinals start to hit their stride. Yeah, it’ll be really interesting to see if Seattle is ready to be aggressive this offseason. Obviously, they already went and sign out signed Josh Naylor really early in the offseason, which shows that some of that aggressiveness. And while they do need to hold on to or you expect them to hold on to that young pitching, the World Series windows close fast and with the potential walk out coming in 2027, you would think they’d be ultra aggressive. Another mid-market or small market American League team that I think would be great for Brendan Donovan here is the Cleveland Guardians, who’ve also reportedly checked down it checked in on him already. Uh while Cleveland did sneak into the playoffs last year, their offense was abysmal. It ranks second to last in all of baseball in batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. Yikes. They desperately need to add some punch to their lineup if they want to contend in 2026 with the Tigers. And Donovan would be a great addition to their roster. Now, while Cleveland’s top prospect, Travis Bazanna was the number one overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft and also play second base, uh he could reach the major soon, but acquiring Donovan allows them to be patient with Bazanna’s development and also uh get a player who can move around the field whenever he is ready to debut. Uh while Donovan is best at second base, he can also spell José Ramirez at third base whenever they need him to have a day off. He could play a solid left or right field, and he even fill in a first base or short stop every once in a while. So, for a team running a low payroll, that flexibility is huge for roster building. Um, Cleveland also presents a unique fit for the Cardinals because not only do they have a wealth of pitching, uh, but due to their ties to Cardinals new assistant general manager, Rob Sirfolio, um, who was with their farm system for quite some time, Sarfolio spent, um, before coming over to the Cardinals last offseason over a decade involved with the Guardians player development system. And so, he knows their farm system better than anyone else. He’d be helpful in identifying upside arms for the Cardinals to target and which arms to potentially avoid. Now, in past years, the Guardians had a bunch of big name prospects on the pitching side of things you can name. They’re a little heavier on the position player side these days, but names like Parker Messi, who uh or Brillan Dodie rise to the top of for me when I I look at potential arms for the Cardinals to target from Cleveland system. Messi, for example, has a bit of MLB experience and has room to grow in his strikeout stuff and is really competitive on the mound. on the Guardians seem to really like him. While Dodie was the 36th overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft and is lighting up the lower levels in the minor leagues. Whether it’s one of those two arms or someone else that Rob Stfolio really likes, I could see Cleveland and the Cardinals uh really matching up here in the Brendan Donovan trade. Yeah, I think that makes a ton of sense. Some outlets have indicated that Cleveland’s actually the leader for Brendan Donovan so far this off seasonason. So, it seems like talks have already begun and they might be serious. It’s very possible we see Donovan playing for Cleveland. I agree that they’ve got the prospect capital to make something like this happen. Um, and as someone who, you know, doesn’t mind Cleveland. It’d be a lot of fun to see him play there. I’m going to stay in the state of Ohio actually and go down to Cincinnati, a division rival for the Cardinals. Similarly to Cleveland, they snuck into the playoffs. You know, were they supposed to make the playoffs this year? Maybe not, but they did. They got stopped by the Dodgers, but they’re coming off of their first playoff appearance in in a little bit. So, very fun for Cincinnati. They also ranked near the bottom of the league, bottom third uh in most offensive categories last year, including on base percentage, OPS, home runs. And this is a team that plays at a ballpark um that really lends itself to offensive production. So, it’d be really fun for Brendan Donovan to go to Cincinnati um where he might be able to put up some more exciting numbers getting away from the pitchers park bush. Now, I think it makes a ton of sense for them to get a guy like him. They’ve already traded away um some offensive talent that would fill the same role as Brendan Donovan like Jonathan India for example that they sent to Kansas City last year. Um and on the flip side of that, while they have some exciting prospects who’ve come up, none of these guys have really established themselves as that guy. It felt like Matt Mlan had done that for them, but he had a huge down year this year. Very disappointing. Uh you know, Sal Stewart’s been all right. Spencer Steer’s been all right. These guys have shown some promise. Uh Will Benson’s another name, but none of them have really run away with this kind of job and establish themselves as one of these lynch pins in their lineup to go along with Ellie de la Cruz. So the Reds could really use another guy to lengthen out their lineup, add a veteran presence, and help them take the next step next year, especially in a central that might be a little bit depleted if the Brewers take a step back. Uh and the Cubs probably aren’t going to get Kyle Tucker back. So they might take a step back as well, opening things up for the Reds to contend for the division crown. Now, when you look at their farm system, in the past, they’ve been full of top-end talent. Uh, and it’s thinned out a little bit. It’s not exactly the same as it’s been before, but there are still some really exciting names here. I can’t see them parting with any of their prized pitching, especially these MLB ready guys. You know, a Chase Burns, that’s not happening. Hunter Green that, you know, in your dreams, none of that’s happening. But there are still some great names at the top here, including Rhett Lauder, who I’ve zeroed in on as a guy that I think is really interesting. He missed a lot of last year with injury, which means he might even come a little bit cheaper. But this is a guy who’s flashed plus pitches across the board, has great control. Uh former top 10 pick. There’s a lot to like about him. He’s also already reached the MLB level. He was a top 10 pick in 2023, seventh overall that year. He’s already pitched at the highest level. He’s already ready to go. So, there’s a lot to like about him. I think the Cardinals could get a guy like him and they could pair it with something else. Um, when I look further down at their system, maybe a guy like Mason Neville here. Uh, Neville is another guy who’s a polished college bat. There’s a lot to like about his profile, some serious power, a little bit of swing and miss, not unlike some of the guys we talked about in Seattle’s system. So, I think this is something the Cardinals could do. I think it would make a lot of sense. And sure, when you think about in a vacuum, could they get, you know, Rhett Louder for Brendan Donovan? Maybe not. But for a trade in the division like this, I think the Reds are going to have to pay up a little bit if they’re going to make this kind of move. move if they’re going to make this aggressive kind of move. Also, when you consider how much the Cardinals got back for Sunny Gray, I know we’ve talked about that, but when you consider just how much they got back, I think this might be Brendan Donovan’s value. Teams are going to be excited about him. Hopefully, there’s a bidding war that gets going. Uh, and that means the Cardinals can get back some serious value. So, when you think about all of these packages, sure, one question remains. Will Brendan Donovan actually be traded? He’s a talented player. There’s interest reported around the league, but the Cardinals don’t have to trade him. They have two years of control and should they hold, they might have time to work out an extension or they could retain the flexibility to shop him at the deadline or even next off season. Josh, where are you on this? Yeah, based on where the Cardinals are at in their rebuild right now and based on the interest around the league, I would guess that Brendan Donovan is traded this offseason. I’ve been pretty open that I believe he’s a guy you can build around and I know that there is a route the Cardinals do do that if they don’t get the right kind of offer that they extend him, keep him for the future. Uh, but I do think that Time Bloom and the front office are going to try and milk this for every ounce of value they can possibly get. I think there’ll be a team out there who offers the kind of pitching that makes it worth the Cardinals while to move Brendan Donovan. And so, as much as I love Brendan Donovan, I think he’s on the move this off seasonason. Sandy, how about you? Yeah, I think you’re right. I think he’s going to be traded. It’s unfortunate. He’s one of my favorite players. I love watching him play, but I think you’re right. I think he’s going to be traded. I just think it makes too much sense for the Cardinals to move on from him. I just don’t think he fits the timeline anymore. Heim Bloom has expressed a desire to contend later uh maybe looking at 2028 2029 and not really prioritizing 2026 2027. So I think you’re right. I think they’re going to move on from him. We’ll be following the Donovan saga all off seasonason long on Deal in the Cards.
The St. Louis Cardinals are making moves this MLB offseason, with Brendan Donovan emerging as a hot trade candidate. We discuss the latest MLB rumors surrounding the Cards and how potential trades could shape their future. This deep dive into baseball strategy highlights the front office’s plan to maximize assets and build for sustained success. What will the Cardinals do next?
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5 comments
The Cardinals need outfielders too. They had about the worst hitting outfield in baseball. After June 1st, Scott only hit 183. You can’t play him if he keeps hitting like that. Nootbar had a huge slump in the middle of the year too. Walker wasn’t hardly playable either. That’s why I think the Cardinals need to acquire an outfielder too. Someone like Luis Matos and an arm.
Oh yeah loving this new format. Please keep making videos like this, cool to see from you all
Well the old saying of “you can’t see what’s in front of you” really holds huh? lol 5 teams and neither of you thought of the Royals? Heck they are a great spot for Nootbaar too…
All I have to say is.. Any conversation I have with trading Brendan Donovan starts with the #1 prospect on any team as part of the deal.
I'm not trading Donovan in our division since I still want to win the Central. So, I like the River Ryan deal. I think we should like a Bryce Miller and lower prospect deal. We have catchers to throw in a deal as well. Get your youngest prospects in a Arenado deal. Please, no on Palante. Great show guys!!!