Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) runs to third base against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Brendan Donovan Stirs Up Cardinals Rumors With Selfie

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Jan 9, 2026 5:03 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have been at the center of seemingly endless trade rumors all offseason around All-Star utility man Brendan Donovan.

There aren't many players who can do what Donovan can do on a baseball diamond. There are plenty of All-Star-caliber talents. There are plenty of players who are elite defensively. There aren't many players who can play second base, shortstop, third base, left field, and right field at an elite level defensively while being an All-Star-level left-handed bat. Mix in the fact that Donovan is just 28 years old with two seasons of control left and you have a guy who could bring back a significant trade package.

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In fact, it has been reported that the Cardinals are looking for at least two elite prospects in return for the utility man.

Will a deal get done soon?

Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

A handful of teams have been linked to Donovan. For example, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch mentioned the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and Kansas City Royals as options on Thursday. John Denton of MLB.com also mentioned the Houston Astros. There are a lot of teams that want Donovan and he at least stirred up one fanbase a bit on Thursday.

Donovan shared a selfie to his Instagram story with Kansas City Royals slugger Vinnie Pasquantino.

Oh, look, an image designed in a lab to torment Royals fans: pic.twitter.com/RTV6IRoxfF
— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) January 9, 2026

What a fun right side of the infield they would be. Pasquantino smashed 32 homers and drove in 113 runs in 160 games in 2025. Pair him with Donovan at second base and Bobby Witt Jr. at third base and you have the makings of a pretty wild infield. Or, you could move Donovan to the outfield and roll with Jonathan India at second base.

MLB.com's Anne Rogers noted that the Cardinals' asking price for Donovan is too high for Kansas City.

"There have been extensive talks with the Cardinals about utility player Brendan Donovan, but the asking price is high, too, and there are other teams interested. The Royals would be willing to slightly overpay for Donovan, who comes with two years of contractual control. But they won’t meet the Cardinals’ ask -- several top prospects and players with years of control."

The photo stirred up some chatter, but nothing appears to be imminent.

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

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