Aug 11, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) fields a ground ball against the Colorado Rockies during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

MLB Writer Suggests Cardinals Should Trade All-Star During Rebuild Period

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals suffered another tough loss on Friday night, falling 8-2 to the San Francisco Giants and dropping to 70-72 on the season. They are 17 games back of first place in the National League Central and 6 1/2 behind the New York Mets in the Wild Card race. Their postseason hopes are all but dashed at this point. They also have several key players on the injured list, including lone All-Star Brendan Donovan.

Under incoming president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, the Cardinals will finally enter a much needed rebuild period. It may be painful, as certain players that fans have grown attached to may be traded. This could include Donovan.

TJ French of The Sporting News argues that the Cardinals should trade Donovan this winter.

Could Cardinals Trade Lone All-Star This Winter?

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"Many Cardinal fans have a sentimental attachment to Brendan Donovan. He was their only all-star this season and is a solid fundamental player. However, is Donovan really going to move the needle in terms of taking the Cardinals' offense over the top?" French wrote.

"He's a productive player, but his OPS (.750) this season is average, and he has only nine home runs in 110 games this season. Chaim Bloom could move off Donovan and either get a decent prospect in return or a mid-level starter that can slot right into the Cardinals' rotation."

The Cardinals have a ton of left-handed bats in their mix. While Donovan is far and away the best of the ones they have developed, he can net them the best return. They aren't expected to contend in 2026, so it would certainly make sense to at least shop Donovan this winter and see what they can get in return.

Their biggest needs are starting pitching and a right-handed power bat or two. Losing Donovan would be tough for the fanbase to stomach, but a trade might make sense if the Cardinals aren't looking to bounce back into contention in 2026.

It will certainly be interesting to see how St. Louis operates this offseason. They'll likely be more active than last winter, but it's clear that a transition period is underway and that they will be looking to rebuild rather than contend.

We'll see what this coming offseason has in store for the Cardinals after a rough 2025 season.

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

More must-reads: