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3 Cardinals Predictions To Jump-Start MLB Offseason

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Dec 16, 2025 11:34 AM ET

Things are surprisingly quiet around Major League Baseball right now, but the St. Louis Cardinals are a team that can change that.

There are numerous stars on the trade block right now and the Cardinals have at least three of the All-Stars who could be on the move in Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, and Willson Contreras. If -- and when -- the Cardinals start moving these guys, it could unclog the offseason and get things moving around the league. There's a surprising amount of talent still on the board in free agency -- including Kyle Tucker -- but things are quiet around the league.

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With all of that being said, here are predictions for Donovan, Arenado, and Contreras to help make the MLB offseason interesting and get moving.

The Cardinals need to get moving

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Brendan Donovan - Seattle Mariners

Katie Woo of The Athletic reported that the Mariners and the San Francisco Giants are the "front-runners" to land the Cardinals' All-Star utility man. Of the two, Seattle would arguably more a more interesting fit. Woo noted that the Cardinals asked about switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje. Derrick Good of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported after the winter meetings that the Mariners, Giants, and the Kansas City Royals were the "most consistent" Donovan pursuers.

Clearly, there's legs to the idea with Seattle. The Mariners made it to the American League Championship Series after winning their first division title since 2001. Seattle is on the up-and-up and has intriguing pieces that could help St. Louis.

Nolan Arenado - New York Yankees

This one doesn't seem exceptionally likely, but it would get the offseason moving. New York has had questions at the hot corner over the last couple of seasons. Arenado now has two seasons left on his deal and St. Louis already has shown its willing to eat up cash to trade its veterans away. If the Yankees make a move -- especially one involving a big-name talent like Arenado -- that will get people talking.

Willson Contreras - Boston Red Sox

The American League East has been an arms race this offseason. The Baltimore Orioles got Pete Alonso. The Toronto Blue Jays got Dylan Cease. The Red Sox got Sonny Gray -- from St. Louis. The Yankees haven't done anything, but they're still the Yankees. Boston was linked heavily to Alonso but lost the sweepstakes to Baltimore. Now, the club has shown reported interest in Contreras.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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