Astros, Red Sox Running Out of Infield Options After Brendan Donovan Whiff

For the last few months, St. Louis Cardinals All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan has been at the center of a lot of trade buzz.

Donovan was linked to the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers early in the offseason, but the Dodgers have seemingly made all the moves they're going to make and the Giants added Luis Arraez earlier this month.

The Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, and Seattle Mariners are three of the other top suitors for the Cardinals star.

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But on Monday, the bombshell report dropped that the Cardinals were nearing a blockbuster three-team deal that would send Donovan to the Mariners. The Tampa Bay Rays are also reportedly involved in this deal.

If completed, it's a huge move for the Mariners, but the Red Sox and Astros would be left with little to work with.

Red Sox, Astros backed against the wall with major infield concerns

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donova — Apr 4, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) celebrates after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Donovan was the perfect solution for the Red Sox. At this point, it seems like the Red Sox need to add a player to play either second base or third base while prospect Marcelo Mayer slots in at the other one. Donovan could have played either position and allowed Mayer to play where he's most comfortable. But the Red Sox whiffed on him and Eugenio Suárez in the span of 24 hours.

The Astros weren't linked to Donovan as aggressively as the Red Sox were, but there were still some rumblings that suggested they could target a big trade. Houston would likely have loved to steal Donovan from the Cardinals before the rival Mariners could land him.

This leaves the infield-needy teams around the league with little to work with. Free agency doesn't have much available at all. There are a few veteran utilitymen available, but none at the same caliber of Donovan.

On the trade block, players like Ketel Marte, Nico Hoerner, and Alec Bohm could be available. At this point, the Red Sox and Astros might be stuck with what they have on their roster to fill the holes in their respective infields.

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