Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Astros Would Be Interested in Cardinals All-Star if He's Made Available

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 2:10 PM ET

The Houston Astros have a nice lead in the American League West, but with the Seattle Mariners improving, they must also get aggressive to upgrade their roster.

With the trade deadline less than a week away, it was the Mariners who struck first with their acquisition of Josh Naylor.

Seattle is still multiple games behind the Astros in the standings, but improving their offense is a step in the right direction. Furthermore, the Texas Rangers are also finally over .500 and starting to play much better of late.

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Houston has been extremely good this year with a fantastic bullpen and a dynamic duo in their starting rotation. However, if they want to hold off some charging opponents in the division, they also must make an upgrade or two.

Currently, the offense seems like the most logical place to try to improve with multiple key players on the injured list. With Jeremy Pena, Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes all out, the offense is fairly limited as of now.

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As the trade deadline approaches, helping this unit makes the most sense for the franchise.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that if the St. Louis Cardinals end up being sellers, the Astros will be interested in their slugger, Brendan Donovan.

All-Star INF Brendan Donovan would interest the Yankees, if he’s available. Many teams would be. Astros, too. Unclear how deep Cardinals sale will be.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 25, 2025

Coming into the season, not too many would have predicted the Cardinals would be over .500 after the All-Star break. This appeared like a team that was poised to be sellers, and despite the strong record based on expectations, they still might be.

With several talented players they could move, Donovan would be an appealing one for many teams, including Houston.

The 28-year-old was an All-Star this season and has performed very well. In 96 games, he has slashed .296/.364/.433 with nine home runs and 42 RBI.

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While the offensive numbers are certainly good, his ability to play multiple positions would make him very appealing to the Astros. Due to Houston having several players on the injured list with some uncertain timelines to return, adding a player with positional flexibility would be ideal.

Furthermore, a left-handed hitter is certainly a top need for an Astros lineup that has been without their star slugger from the left side of the plate.

While the Cardinals might not entertain offers on Donovan, he could be a great option for Houston with his ability to be solid at the plate and provide positional flexibility.

For more Astros news, head over to Astros On SI.

This article first appeared on Houston Astros on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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