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

Insider Report Clarifies Brendan Donovan’s Situation With Cardinals

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Dec 2, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have finally started their rebuild. A week ago, they sent Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox in a blockbuster trade.

That won’t be nearly the last trade they make this offseason. The Winter Meetings are fast approaching, and they have plenty of other pieces that could be on the move soon.

Brendan Donovan is likely their best trade chip, and his situation is a very interesting one. Jeff Passan of ESPN listed the 2025 All-Star as one of the top 50 trade candidates this offseason, and also provided a very important update on the situation.

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Where Things Stand With Brendan Donovan

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

“The Cardinals are not eager to trade Donovan, but the market for him is percolating, and a number of teams see the 28-year-old as an option at second base, third base or left field. Because of his excellent bat-to-ball skills and gap power, Donovan can bat leadoff or occupy a middle-of-the-order role on a team with boppers,” Passan wrote.

It would seem that as of now, the Cardinals don’t want to trade Donovan and would prefer to keep him. However, that obviously doesn’t mean a trade isn’t going to happen.

In fact, the Cardinals are almost certainly posturing here. They know that a lot of teams want Donovan, but want to make sure that they get the best available return.

They need young, controllable starting pitching, and to get the best return, trading Donovan is the way to go, but only if they get the best possible return. If they don’t, then it may not make sense to trade him, even if they aren’t going to contend for the next couple of years.

The All-Star second baseman could be a strong veteran leader in the clubhouse as the Cardinals rebuild and refresh their roster with younger players. He is one of the longest tenured Cardinals too, and has been around for some key points in recent franchise history.

The Cardinals would be a better team with him on their roster and might have a chance to surprise people in the future if he is still around, but they’ll be an interesting team to watch as the Winter Meetings approach. Fans should expect a lot of activity next week in Orlando.

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

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