The St. Louis Cardinals have traded away many of their core pieces this offseason. Veteran players like Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado were all moved. This comes from the front office’s commitment to moving on from veteran contracts to make room for younger talent on the team. One player that has had trade rumors attached to him is utility man Brendan Donovan. The Cardinals have been in discussions with many teams about a possible Donovan trade package. However, with their current roster makeup and direction, the Cardinals don’t need to trade the former all-star.

The Cardinals Don’t Need to Trade Brendan Donovan

Franchise Cornerstone

After the trades that sent their veteran leaders to different teams, the Cardinals lack a franchise cornerstone player. That’s where a guy like Donovan can step in. He was an all-star in 2025, hitting .287, with a .773 OPS, and a 2.74 WAR. Now, those numbers aren’t exactly Aaron Judge-like as a franchise player. However, Donovan’s importance comes from how he plays the game.

Ultimately, if the Cardinals are to trade Donovan, they are trading a leader in the clubhouse. Donovan is a reliable player who sets the example for “The Cardinal Way”. Donovan has been in the league since 2022. Through 4 seasons, he has played in 492 games for the Cardinals. Accounting for 75% of his games since becoming a Major League player, which makes him a reliable asset for the Cardinals. He stands for how the game of baseball should be played and respected, and the Cardinals could use that to their advantage while building this young roster.

The Perfect Offer

In this situation, the Cardinals hold all the chips. They aren’t required to trade Donovan to dump a big salary. He is still on his rookie contract, but the club did avoid arbitration with the 29-year-old on January 8th. He is currently set to make $5.8 million in the 2026 season. With that being said, the Cardinals are not going to be desperate to make a move. Donovan is set to become a free agent in 2028. With the Cardinals still having 2 years of control on him, they would have to be receiving a significant return to make a trade.

No Harm, No Foul

Keeping Donovan also does not harm what the Cardinals’ plans are for this season. As of right now, Donovan is slotted to be the opening day second baseman. However, he can play almost any position on the field, as he won the National League utility Gold Glove in 2022. He would be able to be plugged in at any spot on any given day that the Cardinals would need him.

Many fans believe that not trading Donovan will block the chance for the #1 prospect, JJ Wetherholt. That’s not the case as Wetherholt has been taking time to not only learn the second base position, but also the third base position. And if Wetherholt can’t adjust to third at the Major League level, Donovan is more than capable of playing the position. If anything, not moving Donovan hurts Nolan Gorman the most, as the Cardinals know what they’re going to be getting out of him at this point in his career.

All in all, trading Donovan wouldn’t hurt the Cardinals either because of a possible high return. But coming off his best season, and being the Cardinals’ primary foundation player, it doesn’t hurt to keep him. And without a perfect return, the Cardinals do not need to trade Donovan.