Are The Cardinals Suddenly Flipping The Trade Deadline Script? Latest On Brendan Donovan Rumors

Are The Cardinals Suddenly Flipping The Trade Deadline Script? Latest On Brendan Donovan Rumors

Well, things are starting to get interesting as the Cardinals win another one over the Padres’s getting some really good pitching for Miles Michaels and the very bullpen guys that we think they should be trading this next week. What does that mean for the way the Cardinals will handle the deadline as we continue toward July 31st? We’ll talk about it coming up on Bshave Daily. [Music] What’s going on everyone and welcome into this edition of B Sha Daily. Brendan Schaefer with you. Saturday, July 26, 2025, Cardinals got a three nothing win over the Padres’s last night, Friday night at Bush Stadium. If you’re out there, tell me how you enjoyed the Flow Ride concert. It’s kind of interesting to have that after the game. But the Cardinals getting the win means they are now within a game and a half of the Padres’s in the standings. And the Padres’s still occupy that final wildcard spot in the National League. Now, the Reds and Giants are also ahead of the Cardinals by a half a game. And those two teams sit between the Cardinals and the Padres’s. So, it’s crowded, don’t get me wrong, but the Cardinals are very much in the mix standings-wise. I mean, you can’t deny it. It’s a it’s a fact at this point. However, when I tweeted out last night after this was after the win, I asked I said, “If the Cardinals sweep the Padres’s in four of this series, would you still want them to sell?” And then I put it out as a poll. 79.3% of the 1600 people that voted have said yes as of this recording. They still would want the Cardinals to sell even if they sweep San Diego. And I feel like it’s that attitude of the boy who cried wolf where like Cardinals fans are tired of kind of having the rug pulled over and over again. They feel like when they buy back in the Cardinals look a certain way and then, you know, a couple weeks later it’s it’s completely 180°ree turn in the other direction. And if you do that too many times throughout a season or throughout a decade, then it’s kind of like, all right, maybe you are just what you are, and I don’t want to get my hopes up too much. I think maybe that’s where Cardinals fans are. I’m surprised, though. A little bit surprised. Maybe not super duper surprised, but I still think postseason baseball is a noble goal and the Cardinals can reach out and grab it. They’re so close. But then again, you know, you got to give Cardinals fans credit. I think they’re smart enough to know, all right, look around the league. Look at what the other teams that have gotten into this position and how they’ve done it. And look at the Cardinals. Is it sustainable? The Cardinals have some injuries and so you’re not going to get that consistent offensive punch. Now look, maybe you get some guys back healthy. If Gorman comes back, if Newbar comes back, maybe you’ve got a more balanced lineup that you feel good about one through nine. And maybe that helps the Cardinals to win more games than what they’ve won in the month of July. They’re still having a tough July even after rattling off a couple in a row here against San Diego. But it’s one of those things where can you really count on suddenly we’re going to get healthy and can you really count on the I mean the pitching for me is really the reason that that I would be skeptical. But that’s why like I still maintain selling isn’t exactly what I would do. People have asked well what would you do? I have a pretty targeted answer to that. In fact, I would want to acquire, I would want to target pitchers with team control that ideally could be options for me when I get to spring training in 2026 to compete for a starting rotation spot. It doesn’t necessarily mean the guy I’m getting has to be in that rotation next year, but I would like to see the Cardinals get some dynamic arms, get some interesting arms. And it may be difficult to do that in July because again I I’ve talked about thinking that some of the sort of assets that you would have to use to accomplish that goal might be guys that are on your major league roster already but they’re they’re they happen to be injured at the current time. I think Gorman is a is a candidate for trade within the next 6 to 8 months. I think Lars Nupar is a candidate for trade within the next 6 to 8 months. There are competing schools of thought on this. With Newbar, it’s like, well, his value is as low as it’s been at any point in the last several years because his performance has dipped 10 to 15% or whatever that’s been. And he’s also on the injured list currently as you approach this deadline. And the last update we got on him wasn’t a positive one. Like, he wasn’t necessarily close to returning. So hard for a team that’s looking to make a push to consider him, you know, but but the Dodgers, we we’re talking about the Dodgers right now because it was reported by the Athletic um I believe Fabian Arda and Katie Woo as well uh collabed on the report that the Dodgers would have interest in Brendan Donovan. And it again I still have not seen as I on all the shows I did yesterday. I was I kind of pushed back because John Haymon in the morning had tweeted out you know the Yankees would have interest in Donovan if he’s made available. The Astros would but it’s not clear how far the Cardinal selloff is going to go. It’s like, well, yeah, I I that frustrated me because of course the Yankees would have half the league, mo most of the the buyers in the league should have interest if a player like Brendan Donovan was to hit the market. That’s obvious. What that report doesn’t detail is that the Cardinals have any sort of willingness to do that, to put him out there. So that’s where I was frustrated yesterday early in the day with the John Haymon stuff. But the stuff from the Athletic, the stuff on on the Dodgers, you know, maybe there’s a little bit more relevancy to that. But at the same time, it’s just it’s like again, none of this is saying that the Cardinals are interested. Here’s from Katie Woo’s article. Multiple teams have inquired about all-star infielder Brennan Donovan with the Yankees and the Dodgers known to have interest. Both the Dodgers and Yankees were pursuers of Tommy Edund last year, etc. Uh, Donovan, super utility player, hitting just under 300, is a similar player to Edmond and was part of the reason the Cardinals were comfortable trading Edmond when they did for Eric Fetty and Tommy Fam last year. But the Yankees went out and got Ryan McMahon yesterday. He’s a third baseman. Might fill their need, might not. But but then you you sort of shift toward the Dodgers. Katie says, “Uncle unclear whether the Yankees interest in Donovan has changed after the McMahon trade. The Dodgers expect to be one of the more active buyers at the deadline and they’re looking to add a left-handed bat that can play the outfield.” It’s like, okay, the Cardinals are would seemingly be a really good fit with that. Obviously, Donovan, you know, can play the corner outfield spots, more of an infielder, but could play the outfield. He’s a left-handed bat. That’s why I say it’s it’s unfortunate that New is not healthy because that connection would seemingly be obvious. Other position players, this is from Katie’s article, gathering varying interests, uh, levels of interest are Herrera, Berles, and Anupar. Burles and a newar would be two left-handed outfield bats that, you know, would be would be interesting obviously, but the Cardinals will not part with one of their position players unless they’re blown away by the offer and their conversations have not progressed past initial check-ins. So again, I would say that while this is getting a lot of steam, it feels like people are talking about this a lot. Yeah, with Donovan or any of the other Cardinal position players, I don’t think it’s anything that’s imminent by any means, but I think it falls in line with John Mosak’s typical approach of I’ll listen to anything. I’m never going to shut down a conversation. I’ll listen, you know, but but we’d have to probably be blown away. I think I think if there was a team willing to take on Nupar right now and give you a decent arm for him, man, I would be really I’d be really considering something like that. because I I think there will come a time whether it’s right now or November or December where you have to trade from that position player glut to pick which ones you want to put out there in your everyday lineup in 2026. Add JJ Weatherholt to that mix as well. So you it’s a glut now when everybody’s healthy, which everybody’s not healthy and so that quickly becomes, you know, maybe you want to keep the depth, but I think it’s been difficult to like figure out lineups and matchups and who’s, you know, who’s getting runway, who’s not. That’s been tough as a conversation point this year and they’ve kind of had to eb it and flow it with, you know, certain parts of the year it’s been certain guys getting the runway whereas other times those guys are riding pine. I think for next year you’d like to clear some of that up. You would love to be able to add to your pitching crop to when you do that because you don’t have a surplus when it comes to pitching and and pitching is pitching. It doesn’t have to mean starter, reliever, whatever. I would like some dynamic arms that could conceivably do either. And when I look at, you know, the the Dodgers, there’s I’m sure there’s a bunch of prospects. Some of their guys have, you know, not panned out as much. Some of them are are still really appealing. The degree, the level to which they would be parting with prospects for, you know, a position player of the Cardinals could be interesting. Um, do the Dodgers have a look at relief pitching as well? I believe the article from from uh Fabian, if I’m pronouncing his name wrong, I apologize, could be writer that covers the Dodgers for the Athletic. Uh I I I think he put out there that, you know, that the Dodgers are interested in relief pitching as well. I’m going to check that out and double check to make sure that’s right. Yeah, that’s that’s the top line in his newest story from yesterday. The Dodgers have made relief pitching their main priority during this deadline period. Uh downplaying concerns about their lineup by expressing confidence that slumping stars Mookie Baz Freddy Freeman and Tay Oscar Hernandez will find their footing and that Maxy’s eventual return to the lineup will stabilize things. So, and but he also says that’s not preventing them from seeking a bat. They’ll they’ll look for upgrades in the outfield. But if relief pitching is their primary goal and a left-handed outfield bat is something else that they’re looking at, well, it would seem the Cardinals would be an unbelievable fit. Katie sharing that the Cardinals have not publicly declared their intent to sell, but Mo has reached out to teams to inform them that relievers Helley, Maton, and Steven Mats are available. Romero is drawing interest from rival clubs. I do not believe the Cardinals have made him available. They’re reluctant to trade Jojo is my read. Um, and you know what Katie says here matches what I what I believed about that. So, we’ll see. I again I would be open to my me personally. I think you listen on Jojo because I think he might have more value than anybody when you think about the the extra year of team control attached. But that’s the reason that he has value because the Cardinals could use him next year. They don’t have to trade him. When it comes to Helley, you you kind of have to trade those guys if you want to get value back for him. We talked about yesterday the report that well well Katie talked to Helsley and he said I don’t know it’s probably 9010 90% that I’m traded 10% I’m still here so he’s expecting to go as well and I think that’s part of the business of it too is like all right if the guy gets it you don’t want that to impact your decision-m because you know it doesn’t really matter if they’re what they think about it but it’s I think it’s nice if you’re Mo to go all right he gets it like I’ve he understands um you know again it shouldn’t matter like whether whether a player is mad at you as the executive. You can’t really you can’t really do anything about that. But I think Ryan definitely seems to understand the deal here. So that’s good. And by the way, I mean the the tricky part of this is the Cardinals are making their way back into it. And I really do the degree to which you tank the clubhouse or tank the competitive chances is still we’re we’re not going to know until we know. But the last night was the second night in a row where Jojo Helsley or pardon me, Jojo Maton Helsley were the the trio. I mean, we’re we’re back to triumvirate territory when we had those those games last year where we would talk about Kitridge, Jojo, and Helley. I mean, Maton has stepped right in and and when those three are seven, eight, nine in in a game in any variety of orders, I think Jojo came in after Mton last night. And that’s just the handedness of the batters, right? That’s it’s nice to have that flexibility with your setup. Ben, those guys come in. It’s been pretty locked down. And Helley’s still did give up a hit, but he’s given up like one run in 11 innings. His value is creeping toward uh I mean, he looks sharp again as well. Fastball has a little more life to it. So, the degree to which you tank your season by trading away from that grouping, we’ll never know until we do. There are some schools of thought that would say, I mean, yeah, that’s that’s been what’s locked you down the last couple of nights, but they won three nothing last night. Miles Michael is very good through five innings. His stuff looked sharper, too, I thought. Um, you’re not you’re not going to get anything via trade for him at the deadline. You’ll I think he’ll still be around after the deadline, and he’s got a no trade clause anyway. But that was good to see from him. And, you know, the bullpen comes in and does its thing again. You had a little margin for error. So if that game last night is instead of Jojo, Maton, and Helsley, it’s if if it’s John King, um John King, Gineo, and Grace, like do you still win the game? I don’t know. I don’t know. And that and that, you know, the degree to which you tear it down, even though it is just the bullpen, the bullpen is the most funible part of the roster and it’s the most replaceable. you you know you could have an extra three, four, five games that you do blow between August and September that cost you the playoffs if you make these moves. Do you trade one of them or two of them, but like you hold on to Matts because and you hold on to Jojo because he’s going to be here next year under control. And with Matts, it’s like, hey, he could still be starting depth down the stretch if we need it, you know? Is is Matt’s in a different category or is is he in that same category of you got to move him because teams see what we see and that he would have more value because he could potentially give you bulk innings if you need it. You know, that’s that’s capable. That’s something that he’s done in the past as a starter and he’s done it this year. So, is that a reason that you have to move Mats? I mean, there’s a lot of conflicting ideologies here and a lot of Cardinals fans say sell. 80% voting in my poll say nope. Even if they sweep, they should sell. I I think they sell less if they sweep. Is that crazy to say? Or am I am I just being duped into the exact thing that Cardinals fans don’t want to see the Cardinals get duped into? Maybe that’s the case because maybe even if they take over a wild card spot by the end of the weekend, which would still be a long shot because that would mean the Reds and the Giants would have to lose their games as well. But you could pass the Padres’s by the end of the weekend, it’d be like like in a virtual tie. I think the Cardinals are a game back of the Reds and Giants, game and a half of the Padres’s. Something like that. I mean, that’s a playoff spot. That’s you’re in the mix, but projecting that forward for the final two months without upgrading the team because again, the teams around you are probably going to upgrade. That’s what’s tricky about all this. So, you have to be realistic for sure. But there there are people, like I said, schools of thought. There are people that would say, “Hey, buy selling. Just realize what you’re doing. realize that you are taking a a clubhouse that could be really molded by the fires of a pennant race and instead telling that clubhouse like nah you don’t have the you don’t have it in you this year and and therefore we are going to basically neuter your competitive chances down the stretch. Teams can respond to that in different ways though. teams can be indignant about that and say screw you, you know, like a major league, you know, oh, ownership wants us to lose. All right, let’s do it. You know, let’s go win. Ownership wants wants to win, but they also have other things in in in mind and and the front office has other things they have to consider such as the future. And Cardinals fans largely seem to be really understanding of that and of of where things are. But what is what does the clubhouse think and what will the players how will the players react to that? That’s why for me I would love for the deadline not to just look like a sell deadline. But if the Cardinals could I would probably try to trade a position player if the timing is right. Maybe the timing is not right to do it because the ones you would trade are injured. But if I could go get a Reed Detmer’s from the Los Angeles Angels lefty. And by the way, like you could that would be a reason to to do multiple things at once. If you if Jojo Romero just has so much value that you cannot possibly hold on to him because it would just be a foolish value proposition. You trade him. You get prospects. You get whatever it is. You’re restocking the cupboard. I would go out and get Reed Demmer’s and if I have to trade a big league position player like an outfielder or if I have to trade along with that like a like a pitching prospect even for Reed Demers I would do that. You back Phil Reed Demmer’s is a a left-hander former firstrounder 26 years old controllable through 2028 has a history as a starting pitcher. It didn’t go well for him last year, but back in 2022, he had a 3.77 erra in 25 starts and in 2023 he had 168 strikeouts in 148 innings. Erra climbed a little bit. He gave up quite a few homers that year. And last year, he flamed out as a starter. He’s got a 4.08 RA this year in 43 bullpen appearances, 58 strikeouts in 46 innings. I I would be bringing that guy in. He could be my my Jojo for the rest of the way. I get prospects for Jojo. I love Jojo. I think he’s got a ton of value. That’s why you trade him, not because of anything else. But then in in February, Reed Deet is competing for a starter spot. You get Dusty Blake, you get you get Matt Peront, you get Rob’s portfolio, all these guys working with him and say, “Hey, here’s what we want to do to develop you back into a starter.” And then you’ve got a starter controllable for three years. You know, that would be that would be my idea for what you do at this deadline. You buy in, you sell. Hey, the the the Rays have taken Taj Bradley and they’ve sent him to the miners because they just can’t figure him out right now. He’s got a 4.6 RA. I know that’s not sexy. You’re like, Brendon, the Cardinals got a lot of guys with a 4.6 RA. What are you talking about adding another one? He’s 24 years old. He’s controllable through 2029. He was a former top prospect. He’s had a 350 innings at the big league level with a 4.7 RA. Averages more than a strikeout per inning. swing and miss stuff. All right. Trust that the pitching development guys that you have are are are ones that can, you know, work with this guy and get the most from him. They drafted him in Tampa in 2018. He bloom was still there. All right. Those are the types of moves that I would be making. I’m buying while I’m selling if I’m the Cardinals. Is that too much to ask if John Mo is running the deadline and not Heim Bloom? Yeah, it’s probably none of that’s going to happen. But if if you are interested in my take on what they should be doing, they should be doing a whole heck of a lot over the next week or so and and position it in a way that it doesn’t tank the season, right? Like if you trade Helley, Maton, and Jojo and those are sell moves and then you make two other trades where you bring in and I know it’s crazy, five trades, maybe it’s four, right? May because maybe you’re trading with the Dodgers and you trade them two of your relievers. You give them Jojo and Helley or whatever. and you get a really nice pitching prospect back. Maybe somebody that can slide into your rotation right now or by February, right? You know, I I don’t know which young pitchers they would be willing to move, but they’ve got a bunch of them. All right. And then maybe you’re taking you’re taking from that crop and you’re bringing back some prospects, but you’re also maybe flipping some prospects or trading some of your own prospects or or your own left-handed hitting outfield bats to get Reed Demars or to get Taj Bradley or both. And suddenly it’s like, yeah, you traded some short-term guys, but now Greno’s getting a shot, Grace’s getting a shot. And we’ve got these arms demurs and Taj Bradley that are change of scenery guys in their mid20s and they come in and actually the pitching’s not worse for the wear. Yeah, you have more questions about the ninth inning, but maybe you keep one of them. You know, maybe it’s Helley that go and you bring in Demurs and you trade Matts. You know, Demurs is your new Steven Mats. Maybe that’s what it is. You flip things around with a creative deadline. I I think to do it, he bloom would have to be involved. I do not believe John Mo can do that alone. I just have not seen the proof of concept from him over recent years that he can have that type of deadline. So when you ask, should the Cardinals still sell even if they sweep the Padres race? Yeah, technically, but they should do they should be buying as well. They should be doing things that can help them make a push for this year that can take the clubhouse aspect out of it and say, “Hey, yeah, we took some guys that that y’all are are fans of and took them away, but we’re adding as well. We’re getting more dynamic. We’re getting we’re getting younger. we’re getting a little bit better position for the future. I would be doing all those sorts of things. I would be exploring those avenues. Will it happen? I probably very unlikely. It seems like every conversation that that gets creative and bold is is preliminary at best. And I would be surprised if any of them, you know, if if any of those come to fruition. But we’ll see. And look, what the Cardinals are going to continue to try to do is win a bunch of games to make it really difficult on the front office to only sell and to only do things that are going to make them worse. People talk about the the fans talk about the timeline of, well, if you’re not going to win this year, next year, 2027, then you might as well sell and rebuild. I don’t know where y’all came up with that premise. They won 83 games last year. They’re pacing to win about 83 games again this year, 84, 85 games this year. That’s not a team that needs a three year three to five year rebuild. They just don’t. The Cardinals have never thought that way and I don’t think they should start now. Yeah, I know you’re tired of being in the middle, whatever that means. I I I think it’s more been a product of they haven’t been able to get over the hump. They’ve been running the organization in ways that have prevented them from really kind of taking that next step and they’re changing those things behind the scene. Why do people feel so comfortable with the idea that, well, while the changes are happening, I’ I’d like to lose 90 and 100 games for my favorite team. Why? I don’t think it has to be that way, you know? I just don’t think it does. So, we’ll see what the Cardinals are able to do on the field to move that forward, but also in the in in the trade markets to potentially as we look at 2026, it doesn’t have to be this, well, we have no chance anyway, so just trade Brendan Donovan. Like, I’ve seen some crazy stuff out there. Once again, I’ll try to say it in every podcast, Brendan Donovan, Cardinals best player, controllable for two more years. They should extend him, but even if they don’t, you could kick the can down down down the road another year and he’ll still have value next July if you decide then that you’re not in the mix and you wanted to trade him. Yes, he has more value now because he’s an all-star. I think he could be an all-star again. I don’t think he’s suddenly going to crater. So, I don’t worry about the fact that his value is the highest it’s ever been because I don’t think his value is about to about to take a dump. Dump dip. I don’t think his value is about to dip. That sounds better. More like what I meant to say. And I also don’t believe that when JJ Weatherhold is here, it does not mean that you have to have Brennan Donovan gone. It’s a 26-man roster, 13 position players. Just because they kind of feel like very similar players, doesn’t mean that having both of them doesn’t help you. And rather than take Donovan, who is what you’re hoping Jay Weatherhalt turns into, people are going to disagree with that and they’re going to say, “I want JJ to be more than what Donovan’s been.” That’s fine. And I think that’d be great if he is, but if he turned into Donovan, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Donovan’s a great player to have and I I’d like I’d I’d rather have two of them than one of them. And so if I’m trading Donovan away for the hopes of getting a prospect turning into Donovan or above, but I have to wait two to three years to do it, I I might just keep Donovan unless I’m getting just such a haul that I can’t ignore it. And that’s a different conversation. there there are prospects out there that you know you would have to consider packages of prospects that would you know that would if you got a guy that could step into your major league lineup right now who’s controllable for six years and and you get a pitcher all right again I’m going to hold my nose when I say it but I’ll consider that but otherwise I think people are jumping the gun a little bit dissociating from actually what’s in front of them and it’s easy to just look at it on paper or on a on a phone screen and go Yeah, Trey Donovan, slow down. Really think this through if that’s how you feel. And hey, if you disagree with me, that’s okay. That’s all right if we don’t feel the same about it. That’s what makes it fun. But that’s my take. Those are my thoughts on this uh the the latest with the Cardinals trade deadline. Let me know yours in the comments below. Are you selling still even if they keep rolling out wins? Libertore takes the mound tonight on Saturday. Looks to uh give the Cardinals a series win. We haven’t seen him since the All-Star break, so that’ll be interesting to see how he performs. That’s going to do it though for this edition of the show. I appreciate you guys sincerely as always for tuning in and sticking with me. And we will talk to you next time on Be Shafe Daily. Peace.

The St. Louis Cardinals shut out the Padres 3-0 on Friday night to claw to within 1.5 games of a wild card spot. Are the Cards officially surging again, or is this a mirage?

What should the Cardinals do at this trade deadline as their play on the field continues to muddy the waters?

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