Sep 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (21) take his position against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

Full Cardinals-Brendan Donovan Trade Details Reveal Quiet Steal

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Feb 2, 2026 8:53 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals held out for a while, but ended up trading Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners on Monday in a three-team blockbuster swap including the Tampa Bay Rays.

With Donovan, it wasn't guaranteed that he was going to be traded. For example, on Jan. 26, FanSided's Robert Murray gave an update on the Donovan market and noted that at the time, the team didn't feel like they needed to trade Donovan. On top of this, Murray noted that the team would only trade Donovan if the right deal came around.

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On Monday, that happened. The Athletic's Katie Woo and Chad Jennings were the first to report that the three-team deal was close. Eventually, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the deal was finalized on Monday night.

The Cardinals swung a great move

Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

"The Seattle Mariners have acquired All-Star Brendan Donovan. Deal is done. Full trade, per sources: Mariners receive: Donovan," Passan wrote. "Cardinals receive: RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, CF Tai Peete, OF Colton Ledbetter and two competitive-balance Round B picks. Rays receive: 3B Ben Williamson."

Most of the headlines out there likely will feature Cijntje, Peete or Ledbetter. Cijntje is the gem of the trade. It's not often you find a switch-pitcher. That's not a typo. He can pitch left-handed and right-handed.

92 MPH lefty one pitch
95 MPH righty the next one

Jurrangelo Cijntje is electric ⚡️ #SpringBreakout pic.twitter.com/sZy7Tmlu3A
— MLB (@MLB) March 15, 2025

Peete and Ledbetter are both intriguing outfield prospects themselves. But the underrated win of the deal are the two competitive-balance Round B picks. Competitive-balance Round B picks are draft picks that fall between the second and third rounds of the MLB Draft. The Mariners were scheduled to have the No. 68 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft and the Rays had the No. 72 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.

So, the Cardinals aren't just getting three intriguing prospects with high ceilings, including a unique switch-pitcher. Instead, the Cardinals actually will end up with two more high draft picks when this is all said and done. It's tough to see Donovan go, but the Cardinals are loaded with prospects and picks now.

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

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