Cardinals All-Star Sounds Like MLB’s Next Trade Domino

St. Louis Cardinals All-Star utility man Brendan Donovan hasn’t been traded, but the rumors have persisted.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic added a bit more fuel to the fire on Tuesday while discussing Donovan on "Foul Territory." Of Sandy Alcántara, CJ Abrams, Jarren Duran and Donovan, Rosenthal made it clear that he still thinks that the Cardinals All-Star is still the most likely member of the group to go.

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"I still believe the Cardinals are going to trade Donovan," Rosenthal said. "And it seems — well not seems, it's obvious — that their bar has not been hit. The standard that they set for the return they want for Brendan Donovan just hasn't come their way. But you still have the Giants, who we just talked about, looking at second base. The Mariners are another team and there are others as well that have been linked to Brendan Donovan. Kansas City was interested at one time.

The rumors continue around 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

"Doesn't seem to be a match there. It seems to me, that's the guy that the Cardinals are going to move at some point. There isn't much question about that. The question is then and do they get their desired return before the season starts to make that move? I still see him as the most likely, simply because he's been out there so long. ... I don't exactly know which one, of course, is going to get traded. But I would say, because Donovan has been discussed so heavily, that he would be a guy, it seems, would at some point go."

The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly reported that the Cardinals and Giants have "remained engaged" on the idea of a trade around Donovan, which isn't surprising because San Francisco has been a team tied to Donovan all offseason.

One thing that is clear right now, though, is that the Cardinals will not be budging on their asking price. FanSided's Robert Murray made that clear.

"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 Cardinals very well could trade Donovan, as Rosenthal noted, but only for a big price tag.

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