St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan. Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

What a Brendan Donovan trade would mean for the Cardinals

By Curt Bishop | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 5:24 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals will soon be rebuilding as Chaim Bloom takes over for John Mozeliak as president of baseball operations. This means that certain players could be on the move, including All-Star and fan-favorite Brendan Donovan.

Donovan is hitting .281/.348/.407 with 10 home runs. 47 RBI and a .755 OPS this season. However, Katie Woo of The Athletic notes that the Cardinals could shop him this offseason.

"Donovan is a winning player, according to multiple coaches and evaluators, but his trade value has never been higher. He’ll be a free agent after the 2027 season. There is no telling how long the Cardinals expect to rebuild, so if Donovan’s remaining arbitration years don’t match up with that timeline, should St. Louis sell high and move him?" Woo wrote.

Cardinals trading away Brendan Donovan would let younger players shine

Trading Donovan would mean that the Cardinals are not only fully committing to their rebuild but also opening up opportunities for younger players. This would clear the starting second base job for top prospect JJ Wetherholt, who is knocking on the door of the big leagues and should be ready by 2026.

As Woo notes, Donovan's value is incredibly high, so the Cardinals could restock their farm system with some top prospects and set themselves up well for the future. They also have a ton of left-handed bats, and trading Donovan would allow them to at least alleviate the logjam a little bit.

Trading Donovan might be the best way for them to address their pitching shortage within the farm system, as he is somebody that many teams will be willing to part with top talent for. On the flipside, the Cardinals would be losing a clubhouse leader and catalyst at the top of the lineup.

Donovan has easily been one of St. Louis' top players this year. He is also a former Gold Glove winner and can play multiple positions, including the outfield and even first base, which makes him one of the most indispensable players on the Cardinals roster.

Not having that Swiss Army knife would certainly hurt the Cardinals' chances of winning, as he would be nearly impossible to replace. But their goal should be to focus on the future rather than contending next year, and trading Donovan, while painful, would help solve the lefty-hitter logjam and clear a spot for other young players.

Curt Bishop

Curt Bishop is a freelance sportswriter who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of communication. Curt primarily covers Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.

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