Brendan Donovan Update Shows Cardinals Playing Market Just Right

The St. Louis Cardinals still hold one of the top trade chips of the offseason right now in All-Star utility man Brendan Donovan. But for how much longer?

With the volume of rumors around Donovan, you'd think there would be an end in sight. But that doesn't appear to be the case. The Athletic's Katie Woo joined "The Lou Sports Talk" with an update on the Donovan market.

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"Not a lot has changed and the reason why the Cardinals are being such sticklers on this is because Brendan Donovan represents their best chance to get a significant return," Woo said. "Because, while trading (Sonny Gray), (Willson Contreras), and (Nolan Arenado) got them a prospect or two, it was more about offloading the money and making room for younger players by getting these veterans off the team to a place where they can hopefully go play competitive baseball. Brendan Donovan is in high demand for a reason. We saw the Giants come back into play. They were front-runners coming out of the winter meetings along with Seattle.

What's next for the All-Star?

Sep 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (21) take his position against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

"I don't think we can rule either of those teams out by now. They've had conversations with, surprise, Boston as well...For the Cardinals, their position hasn't changed. They don't have to trade Brendan Donovan. They will only do so if they get a package potentially that they cannot say no to. They have all of the leverage here. They are not going to trade him just to trade him. The only way they will is if one team, I say, overpays because that's what it's going to take to really land him at this point and gives the rebuilding Cardinals several prospects into which they can incorporate into their top 30 system...It's about quality, impactful prospects in return."

Despite Donovan's name being consistently out there in trade rumors, this is more of the same. It sounds like plenty of teams want him -- San Francisco, Seattle, and Boston all have been linked to him lately -- but the Cardinals are holding out for a significant return or they will run it back with him at least to kick off the 2026 season.

This is the right strategy to have if you're the Cardinals. Donovan adds flexibility to an organization that few others can. You can plug Donovan in at the majority of positions on a diamond and know you're going to get elite defense and a high-end bat. Plus, he's a leader in the clubhouse. The intangibles are there and unless St. Louis is blown away, it should hold onto him.

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