Brendan Donovan Market Explained With Cardinals in Limbo

After months of rumors, it's pretty clear that the St. Louis Cardinals aren't just going to trade Brendan Donovan simply to do it.

Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras were all traded, but it is not like the club is just blowing up the roster without a strategy. With the three veterans out of town, there is more room on the roster now for a few young guys as the team attempts to chart a path forward. With Donovan, you don't necessarily need to do that. He's young enough to realistically help the team through a rebuild and be a core piece moving forward.

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He's been at the heart of more trade rumors this offseason than the vast majority of players around the league. But the Cardinals aren't going to move him unless a team steps up with an offer that cannot be refused. The Athletic's Jim Bowden noted that the Cardinals will not trade Donovan unless they "win" the trade.

"Donovan has a career .361 OBP and will add significant traffic to any lineup," Bowden wrote. "He’s also very versatile and has played all infield and corner outfield positions in the major leagues during his career. He’s well-known for all the baseball cliches we like to throw at players like, 'gamer,' 'dirt bag,' 'winner' and 'scrappy.' He fits with every team in baseball, including the Cardinals, who aren’t trading him unless they can 'win' the trade."

Robert Murray of FanSided alluded to this idea as well.

Will the Cardinals trade Brendan Donovan?

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 Cardinals' stance on Brendan Donovan is this ... the Cardinals do not have to trade Brendan Donovan right now," Murray said. "He is under contract now and going forward. He's a player that they really, really like and they put a really high price tag on him this offseason. If they don't get an offer that is satisfactory to them, or does not blow them away, they will hold onto him."

The Donovan market has been spoken about endlessly this offseason. But with Spring Training roughly two weeks away and no team willing to meet the Cardinals' lofty ask, it wouldn't be the biggest shock in the world to see St. Louis simply hold onto the All-Star utility man at this point.

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