Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals All-Star Projected to Stay in St. Louis, Per Insider

The St. Louis Cardinals have been at the heart of an avalanche of trade rumors.
Patrick McAvoy|
Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

Despite endless trade rumors, there’s a real shot that the St. Louis Cardinals don’t trade Brendan Donovan.

St. Louis has kicked off a rebuild this offseason by trading Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras away. It's no surprise that insiders and analysts alike across baseball have discussed Donovan's future. There hasn't been a player around baseball talked about more as a trade candidate this offseason.

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But he remains in St. Louis as of writing. With roughly two weeks to go until Spring Training, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat predicted that will remain the case into the season while projecting the team's Opening Day roster.

What will the Cardinals do?

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman 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

"Infielders (6): Alec Burleson, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman, Thomas Saggese, JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn," Jones wrote. " ... With Donovan still on the team, that likely slots Wetherholt at third base and Gorman as something resembling a full-time DH. Donovan could also pick up some shifts in left field, with Wetherholt likely playing second and Gorman third in those scenarios. Donovan’s departure would make that alignment more permanent."

This idea isn't out of left field any longer. The perception around Donovan has seemingly shifted from a near-guarantee to be moved, to potentially sticking around. Robert Murray of FanSided had a similar sentiment while noting that the Cardinals don't feel like they need to trade Donovan.

"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."

Last offseason, Arenado seemed like he was almost guaranteed to be traded. The noise was endless, but he had a no-trade clause and ended up spending the entire 2025 season in St. Louis. Donovan doesn't havea no-trade clause, but it sounds like he could follow a similar path and stick around despite endless rumors.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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