The St. Louis Cardinals are headed for a big rebuild this offseason and they’ve already taken the first step toward doing so. They traded Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a small haul of talented prospects.
The Cardinals could look to trade multiple other top talents. Players like Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, and Willson Contreras are seemingly on the trade block right now. While Arenado and Contreras could be moved, it’s Donovan who likely holds the most trade value for St. Louis.
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Jordan Leandre of Just Baseball recently predicted the Cardinals would trade Donovan to the Seattle Mariners during the offseason.
Mariners make sense as a landing spot for Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan
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
“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,” Leandre wrote. “That on-base percentage drops to .305 leading off the first inning.
“Between that and a need to improve the middle infield,  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.”
The Mariners haven’t been connected to Donovan much this offseason, but they could be the perfect landing spot.
Seattle came into the offseason with a trio of infielders entering free agency. The Mariners have already signed Josh Naylor to a new deal, but Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suárez remain on the market.
If the Mariners can’t retain these two stars, they could look to add Donovan instead. This would give the team another middle of the lineup bat with a lot of defensive versatility. He would fit their team perfectly and the Mariners have plenty of prospect capital to move in the potential trade.
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