Mariners Get a Table-Setter in Trade for Cardinals’ Donovan
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 23: Brendan Donovan #33 of the St. Louis Cardinals runs home to score against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at Oracle Park on September 23, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Believe it or not, the Mariners ranked in a 24th-place tie in on-base percentage from their leadoff hitters in 2025. At .311, only the Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, and Angels ranked beneath them.
That on-base percentage drops to .305 leading off the first inning.
Between that and a need to improve the middle infield, Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals makes a lot of sense. Last season, the 28-year-old maintained his steady play with a .287/.353/.422 line, a 119 wRC+, and 2.9 fWAR in 118 games.
He doesn’t strike out, and he walks at an average rate, but his contact skills and command of the strike zone are advanced. He’s not a thumper, nor is he an elite defender at any one position, but he certainly can hit.
Part of what doomed the Mariners in October was the length of the lineup. Donovan primarily replaces Polanco’s presence, but gives the Mariners a steadier track record to pencil in. I trust him to maintain a profile that doesn’t involve striking out more than Polanco, who halved his K-rate in 2025.
Maybe a .500 Team, but Kenley Jansen’s 500th Save?
ANAHEIM, CA – JUNE 07: Kenley Jansen #74 of the Los Angeles Angels looks on during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Saturday, June 7, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Scouring the league, opportunities for Kenley Jansen to close seem scarce. So close to 500 saves, and at 38 years old, closing feels like it must be priority No. 1 for the veteran.