The St. Louis Cardinals have a lot of important work ahead of them this offseason. It won’t be what fans are used to.

Instead of having a quiet offseason leading up to 2026, Chaim Bloom is expected to be busy making trades and potentially even diving into the free agent market for some upgrades.

Among their top trade candidates is All-Star second baseman Brendan Donovan, who dealt with some injuries this year but still had a solid season. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports that the Mariners had interest in him last offseason, and that with them looking for help at second base and third base, that interest could be rekindled.

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Mariners Match Well With Cardinals For Possible Donovan Trade

Donovan hit .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs, 50 RBI and a .775 OPS during the regular season. He also has won a Gold Glove.

The Mariners are loaded with pitching, which is something the Cardinals need this offseason. Seattle also has a need for offense, even after re-signing Josh Naylor. The Cardinals could choose from some young arms on Seattle’s roster.

Bryce Miller could be a fit, or the Cardinals could potentially land somebody like Bryan Woo to boost the rotation. They need a young arm to fill it out for 2026, as options such as Andre Pallante and Matthew Liberatore are far from a sure thing.

And with Sonny Gray possibly on the way out, the Cardinals will need to make sure they have enough pitching to get through the 2026 season. Trading Donovan to Seattle would be a good way to land somebody with years of club control and high upside.

Donovan could take over at third base or second base for Seattle if a trade happens, meaning they would likely move on from one of Eugenio Suarez and Jorge Polanco. But St. Louis has too many left-handed bats, especially with top prospect JJ Wetherholt on the way.

Bloom will have his work cut out for him as he tries to build a younger roster for 2026 but also keep the Cardinals somewhat relevant as they undergo a major transition. Trading Donovan might be the best way to replenish their supply of pitching for the next few seasons and restock their farm system.

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