There may be no more popular name on the trade market than Brendan Donovan. Sounds like the San Francisco Giants have checked in on him.
Per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (subscription required), the Giants have shown interest in Donovan as a potential trade target. San Francisco may have to get in line for his services. Per MLB Trade Rumors, at least six other teams have been linked to him this offseason.
But a recent development may explain why the Giants have interest in the All-Star and NL Gold Glove winner.
Why Giants Might Want Brendan Donovan
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Recently, San Francisco revealed that one of last year’s primary second basemen, Casey Schmitt, underwent successful left wrist surgery. He’s expected to need 8-to-10 weeks to recover and then begin the ramp-up to baseball activities. It could delay his readiness for the regular season.
He played 53 games at second base but also logged time at three other positions. Last year’s other primary second baseman was Tyler Fitzgerald, who had a worse offensive season than Schmitt. Fitzgerald slashed .217/.278/.327 with four home runs and 14 RBI.
Those two reasons combine to reveal why the Giants might way to take a run at Donovan.
He has played six different positions in his Major League career, but he’s played his most at second base — 225 out of 501 games. It’s a position that, offensively speaking, has been a struggle in recent years for the Giants. Donovan might solve that problem.
He is coming off a 2025 season in which he was named an All-Star for the first time, as he slashed .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI. When he broke into the Majors in 2022, he was named an NL Gold Glove winner and finished third in NL rookie of the year voting after he slashed .281/.394/.379 with five home runs and 45 RBI in 126 games. In four seasons he has a slash of .282/.361/.411 with 40 home runs and 202 RBI.
He’s a rock-solid, left-handed hitter and a quality defensive player. The Cardinals are also looking to re-tool and trim some payroll. Donovan comes with an inviting feature — he has two years of team control remaining before he can become a free agent. Donovan is expected to get a deal around $5.4 million in 2026. That’s cheap for a second baseman with his talent and track record.
Donovan would clearly be a fit for San Francisco. He’d be the least powerful of the four starting infielders, along with third baseman Matt Chapman, shortstop Willy Adames and first baseman Rafael Devers or Bryce Eldridge. But he’s hit at least 10 home runs in each of his last three season. Defensively, he would anchor the right side of the infield.
With two years of team control the Cardinals can command a significant trade package. Given Donovan’s profile, it might be worth the Giants’ time to swing a deal.
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