Sep 12, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second base Brendan Donovan (33) gets a base hit against the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Cardinals' Brendan Donovan Linked To American League Powerhouse

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Dec 28, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the best players on the trade block right now in Brendan Donovan.

Numerous teams have been connected to him throughout the offseason. Teams like the Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Guardians, and Boston Red Sox have been mentioned among the teams that have shown interest in Donovan. That's not all, though. The market is massive with Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporting earlier in the offseason that the sweepstakes could feature over half of the teams in the league.

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So, who should be the top option for Donovan? Bleacher Report's Erik Beaston pitched the Boston Red Sox as a team that needs Donovan, but the "Who" doesn't necessarily matter for St. Louis.

The Cardinals should wait around until someone blows them away

Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

"Former Red Sox and current Cardinals general manager Cham Bloom has already traded Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras from St. Louis to Boston and may not be done dealing with his former club," Beaston wrote. "Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported, 'The Cardinals and Red Sox also have discussed a trade that would send infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan to Boston, according to people briefed on the conversations. Donovan likely would play second base for the Red Sox, who have also been linked to the Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte.' It is a deal that, if presented to them, Red Sox should make.

"Enter Donovan, a 2025 All-Star who gets on base and has been the picture of consistency over the last four years with the Cardinals. He hit .287 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI in 118 games last season and his fielding percentage at second base (.990) is above the league average (.986)...While Red Sox fans will inevitably question why the organization would want players who did not win in St. Louis, a change of scenery has done some great players a world of good. Donovan could be one of them. Rolling out the team as it is, with the second base combination of Campbell and Hamilton, will not do."

The more teams in the sweepstakes for St. Louis, the better. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter which team makes an offer St. Louis can't refuse, as long as one team meets St. Louis' asking price.

The Cardinals already got a handful of pitchers from the Red Sox in the Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray trades. Arguably, it may be good to look elsewhere because the Cardinals have already drained the Red Sox's farm system a tad. But again, with the competition out there, as long as a team puts an offer out there that Chaim Bloom and the Cardinals want, that's what matters.

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

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