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. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Cardinals Trade Chip Seen As Certain To Be Moved

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Dec 16, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The offseason is starting to take shape for the St. Louis Cardinals. They set their rebuild in motion by trading Sonny Gray and later signed Dustin May to a one-year contract.

But there is still a lot of work to be done on the trade front. The Cardinals have several more trade chips, including Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and JoJo Romero.

The top priority is moving Arenado, but Contreras would prefer to stay in St. Louis during this rebuild. However, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News Democrat reported something major on the team’s other two trade chips and what the future holds for them.

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The Latest On Top Cardinals Trade Chips

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“It is overwhelmingly likely that Brendan Donovan and JoJo Romero will be traded this winter. There is every expectation that Nolan Arenado will follow,” Jones reported.

Donovan could bring back the best haul for the Cardinals, as he still has two years of club control before he hits free agency. Romero is in the final year of his contract, and it makes sense for the Cardinals to be shopping him this winter.

He also could bring back a solid haul of prospects, just not quite as big as what they would receive for Donovan. According to Katie Woo, the San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners are top two teams in the running for the All-Star second baseman.

Trading Donovan clears space on the roster for top prospect JJ Wetherholt when he is ready. It also allows the Cardinals to trim their supply of left-handed hitters.

Romero might leave a bit of a hole in the bullpen, but the Cardinals can still go into free agency and sign an arm or two to help balance things out. It’s clear though that the Cardinals are expecting to trade both Romero and Donovan.

There is still a lot of offseason left, and time for the Cardinals to maximize the returns they get for their top trade chips, but it’s only a matter of time before somebody gets moved.

We’ll see what Chaim Bloom is thinking as the new year approaches and what he’ll be able to bring back in any potential trades. He is exploring a lot of things for the Cardinals early on this winter.

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

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