Insider Shares Important Update On Mariners Pursuit Of Cardinals All-Star

Can the Mariners pull off a blockbuster deal.

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Seattle Mariners have had a mostly quiet offseason since re-signing Josh Naylor. No other big moves have taken place, but they have been at the center of rumors for certain players in trades and free agency.

One player that they have shown interest in is St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan. He is the Cardinals’ top trade chip this offseason and could bring back a massive return.

Seattle and St. Louis have had discussions about him. However, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic provided a new update on the situation that might be a little bit disappointing for Mariners fans.

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What’s Next For Mariners After Latest Donovan Update?

Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) runs to third base against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

“The St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan holds greater appeal [than Ketel Marte] because of his defensive versatility, but the talks between the clubs have yet to bear fruit. A reunion with free agent Eugenio Suárez could be an option if all else fails,” Rosenthal reported.

Donovan hit .287 with 10 home runs and a .775 OPS during the regular season with St. Louis. However, the reason talks have stalled may be because Seattle doesn’t want to part with Major League ready talent. 

St. Louis may be after that in terms of looking for starting pitching help. But Seattle may not be willing to give it up. They have several top prospects St. Louis could be interested in, including switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje.

The Mariners could send the Cardinals a haul of prospects to get a deal done, but it remains to be seen just how willing they are to overpay for a player like Donovan. That also means that the likelihood of a Ketel Marte trade is low.

Donovan could check a lot of boxes for Seattle. He’s a versatile defensive player and can be used almost anywhere on the field. He could potentially take over at second base after the departure of Jorge Polanco, or play third base to replace Eugenio Suarez.

It will be interesting to see where the Mariners land in their search for offense, but if talks with the Cardinals aren’t getting anywhere, then they might be forced to ultimately forget about trying to trade for Donovan and maybe focus on trying to bring back Suarez.

Jerry Dipoto has a lot of avenues he can take.

More MLB: Mariners Predicted To Lose 2-Time All-Star To AL Central Contender