Brendan Donovan Update Sets Clock on Cardinals’ Blockbuster Trade Talks

Spring Training is right around the corner and it sounds like St. Louis Cardinals fans should have a very close eye on Brendan Donovan ahead of it.

By now, you've likely seen the rumors. Donovan has been a trade candidate all offseason, but he remains a member of the organization. One team that was linked to him was the San Francisco Giants, but they have a new second baseman in Luis Arráez. The Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox are other teams that have been linked to him, along with the Kansas City Royals.

No team has been willing to meet the club's asking price so far this offseason. On Sunday, Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom joined Tom Ackerman on "Sports on a Sunday Morning" on KMOX Sports and was asked about Donovan. Although he didn't give a concrete deadline, he acknowledged that the club will view Donovan as expected to stay if he is with the club when Spring Training begins.

The clock is ticking

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

"Still feel exactly that way," Bloom said about not being in a rush to move Donovan. "I don't want this to be something that's a day-to-day issue hanging over us in the spring. So, if there is something that is put to us that makes sense for us to do, as difficult as that would be emotionally, I'd like for that to happen before camp opens. I don't believe in setting any official deadlines here. Obviously, we never turn our phones off. But out mindset will be that we would like to get that clarity for us, for Brendan, sooner rather than later.

"If nothing happens by the time camp opens, we'll be in the mindset of having our heads down and preparing for the season. Obviously, preparing for other ways to improve our roster but not thinking that will be much of a factor at that time. Obviously, there's still time between now and then. You know, that's our mindset. I just think that if we want to accomplish what we do with Spring Training, which is such an important tone-setter for the season, you'd like to have the group's focus in the right place."

For the Cardinals, that's Feb. 12. As of writing, there are 11 days left until Spring Training. So, will Donovan stick with the club in 2026? If he is still with the team on Feb. 12, it's a safe bet he will be.

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