The St. Louis Cardinals have dominated the trade market for the last six to eight months. They swung a trio of trades at last season’s trade deadline that saw three expiring relievers moved to contenders in exchange for prospects.
This offseason, the Cardinals have been even more aggressive. They’ve moved Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a haul of prospects. Soon after, they traded Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Now they could look to make more moves before opening day. Brendan Donovan and JoJo Romero are the top two trade chips left on the roster. It wouldn’t be surprising to see both stars moved before the season begins.
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CBS Sports’ RJ Anderson predicted the Cardinals would opt to trade Donovan to the Seattle Mariners over the course of the coming weeks. Donovan has continuously been connected to the Mariners for the last few months.
Brendan Donovan would fit perfectly with the Mariners
Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) celebrates his double against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
“I would assume that Donovan still gets traded before spring training begins. He’s a quality player, but he probably has more value to a surefire contender than he does to a retooling Cardinals that could repurpose his plate appearances to younger options,” Anderson wrote. “As for where he goes, the Mariners make a lot of sense on paper. They have the need for a player like Donovan, as well as the prospect depth to get a deal done. “
Donovan is the perfect fit for the Mariners. Seattle lost Jorge Polanco in free agency and they haven’t done much to replace him. While they have some prospects that could make a difference, adding a star like Donovan makes a lot more sense.
Donovan would be able to fill in at second base, first base, third base, or a corner outfield spot for Seattle, though he’d likely slot in at second base more often than not.
The Cardinals could look to land a solid return from the Mariners’ loaded farm system.
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