Jul 14, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco Giants hat and glove on the bench against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Cardinals-Giants 'Remain Engaged' for Brendan Donovan Blockbuster

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Jan 27, 2026 3:01 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals still have one of the most intriguing trade candidates in baseball in Brendan Donovan, although no one has been able to meet the organization's lofty asking price yet.

FanSided's Robert Murray dropped an update about Donovan on Monday and noted that the club feels as though it doesn't have to trade Donovan and will not without a massive return.

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"The Cardinals' stance on Brendan Donovan is this ... the Cardinals do not have to trade Brendan Donovan right now," Murray said. "He is under contract now and going forward. He's a player that they really, really like and they put a really high price tag on him this offseason. If they don't get an offer that is satisfactory to them, or does not blow them away, they will hold onto him."

The Cardinals All-Star remains available

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The Donovan market seems to be in a holding pattern. Donovan has been out there long enough on the trade block that teams should know what St. Louis wants. The San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals have all been teams consistently linked to Donovan throughout the offseason. The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly reported that the Giants "remain engaged" with St. Louis about Donovan after landing outfielder Harrison Bader.

"The Giants and Bader’s representatives had been in touch most of the winter, but talks picked up in recent days as the team pivoted from a frustrating trade market," Baggarly wrote. "They came up short while taking an aggressive shot at Washington Nationals infielder CJ Abrams, but remain engaged with the Cardinals on Brendan Donovan, whose left-handed contact skills could balance out the lineup as an everyday second baseman who yields occasional starts to Casey Schmitt against left-handed pitching."

It shouldn't be surprising to hear that the Giants have "remain engaged" on Donovan. That has seemingly been the case all offseason. But Donovan is the team's top trade chip. Mix that with the fact that Murray made it a point to note that the Cardinals don't feel like they have to trade Donovan, and then it's safe to assume that St. Louis isn't lowering its asking price.

If the Giants meet it, great. If no team meets the Cardinals' asking price, expect Donovan to be with the team in Spring Training.

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

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