The Seattle Mariners have acquired All-Star second baseman and utilityman Brendan Donovan from the St. Louis Cardinals via a three-team trade that also includes the Tampa Bay Rays.

Drayer: M’s land All-Star Brendan Donovan after long pursuit

As part of the deal, the Mariners are sending switch-pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje, outfield prospect Tai Peete and a Competitive Balance B draft pick to the Cardinals, as well as third baseman Ben Williamson to the Rays.

For a franchise that fell eight outs short of its first-ever World Series berth last fall, this is the type of move that could put the Mariners over the top, Seattle Sports’ Mike Salk said in a reaction video.

“This is what contending teams do,” Salk said. “You go out and you acquire a veteran player – in this case, 29 years old, only two years of control – to come in and help you get over the top.”

An ideal roster fit

Donovan has primarily played second base and outfield over his four-year MLB career, but he’s also spent time at third base, shortstop and first base.

That versatility allows the Mariners to provide a runway for some of their talented young infielders – including top prospect Colt Emerson and second baseman Cole Young – without putting immediate pressure on them to produce.

“They’ve got these young infielders that they like, that they want to work into the regular lineup, but you can’t do that and let them get themselves overexposed,” Salk said. “So what do you do? Bring in a player with a lot of positional flexibility, like Donovan.

“He can play third. He can play second. If the young guys are going really well, you can bump him to the outfield if need be. You can move him around.”

Regardless of where he plays in the field, Donovan gives the Mariners a bona fide leadoff hitter. Last year, he ranked ninth in batting average and 17th in on-base percentage (.353) among qualified National League batters. He also had the seventh-lowest strikeout rate (13.0%) in the NL.

“At the end of the day, he’s a leadoff hitter – something that (the Mariners) have been missing since, well, it almost feels like forever,” Salk said. “He will hit leadoff all the time, whether he’s playing third or second or right or left or whatever.

“This guy is going to hit at the top of the order, because he gets on base 35% of the time. Those are elite on-base skills. That’s what he brings to the table more than anything else.”

And to top it off, Salk thinks Donovan will mesh well with the Mariners’ tight-knit clubhouse.

“By all accounts, he’s an A-plus makeup guy,” Salk said. “Everybody loves him. Great teammate. Should be a perfect fit inside this clubhouse, which we know is important to this group.”

What about the cost?

According to Baseball America, Cijntje was the Mariners’ No. 7 prospect and Peete was their No. 10 prospect. Williamson also was a top-15 prospect in Seattle’s system before reaching the majors last season.

Yet, while it’s always difficult to part ways with young talent, the Mariners’ farm system is among the deepest in baseball. And one of the biggest benefits of a well-stocked system is that it provides an opportunity to swing impact trades like the one Seattle just made.

“Does it hurt to give up Jurrangelo Cijntje?” Salk said. “Yeah, sure. And it’s going to hurt some of your pitching depth for this year, and certainly for years beyond this. But that’s why you went out and got (No. 3 overall pick) Kade Anderson last year in the draft.”

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