May 16, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) hits a double during the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Cardinals, Brendan Donovan Trade Hold-Up Revealed

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Jan 7, 2026 8:17 AM ET

Stop us if you've heard this before: The St. Louis Cardinals have not traded Brendan Donovan yet, but the club is looking around for options.

Donovan has been linked to a handful of teams throughout the offseason, including the Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals, and the Boston Red Sox, among many others. It was reported in December that the Cardinals want at least two high-end prospects in exchange for Donovan. The 28-year-old remains a popular trade candidate, but remains on the block. Why is that the case? The Athletic's Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal attributed it to the Cardinals valuing Donovan more than other teams at this point.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

"The delay on Donovan," Rosenthal and Sammon wrote. "Why have the Cardinals not yet traded Donovan, the player who can bring them the most in a deal? It comes down to a difference in perceived value. The Cardinals view Donovan as a star player while not all clubs see him that way, according to people briefed on the conversations. Donovan, who turns 29 this month, offers many appealing qualities, from his swing decisions to his bat-to-ball skills, his defensive versatility to his makeup. But his career-best fWAR, achieved in 2024, was 3.2. Hoerner was at 4.8 last season, Marte at 4.6 – the latter in only 126 games.

The rumors continue to grow

Matt Marton-Imagn Images

"Donovan also is under club control for only two more seasons, the second of which is threatened by a lockout. The Kansas City Royals remain among the teams interested, but if the Cardinals prefer premium young bats, the Seattle Mariners are perhaps the best fit."

That may be the case and it makes sense. But there's a reason why he has been the most popular trade chip in baseball this winter. He provides a level of flexibility that others can't. He's going to give a team -- maybe even the Cardinals -- an All-Star-level left-handed to go along with Gold Glove-level defense wherever the club wants to plug him in.

Right now, teams may view the asking price as high, but there aren't many players who can do what he can. Either a team will meet the asking price, or the Cardinals will keep Donovan to kick off the 2026 season. Both good options.

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

More must-reads: