Cardinals-Astros Rumors Growing Around 28-Year-Old All-Star

Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray aren’t the only All-Stars who could have already played their final game as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Beyond these two, the next guy who has been the subject of the most rumors arguably has been Brendan Donovan. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Donovan's market is massive and ESPN's Jeff Passan called him the Cardinals' "biggest prize" on the trade block.

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So, with that being said, it's clear that there's interest in him around the league. But, who could poach him? Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported that the Houston Astros are a team that has shown interest in Donovan.

The Cardinals star is getting interest all over baseball

Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) celebrates his double against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Rome joined "Crush City Territory" on Tuesday and shed some more light on the Astros' reported interest in Donovan.

"Interest is just that," Rome said. "It is interest. Like, the Astros have internally discussed Brendan Donovan as someone that makes a lot of sense for them when you look at his offensive profile. When you look at that he hits from the left side. When you look at that he predominantly plays second base, but can also play left field. He is the ideal fit. Like, he's perfect for what this roster needs. But, interest is just that. Brendan Donovan has a lot of teams interested in him.

"As I think we both know, the Astros are never probably going to win a prospect bidding war if they get into a trade negotiation with the Cardinals and the Cardinals are getting offers from other teams. The Astros will not be at that advantage given that their farm system. But, this also could be a situation where the Cardinals are looking for maybe not prospects. Maybe a starting pitcher that can help them this year. I don't think the Cardinals are going full rebuild."

With the MLB offseason now a few weeks in, we're starting to get a better sense of where things stand around the league. For the Cardinals, Arenado and Gray are the two big-name veterans that were expected to get the most buzz. But, it's actually Donovan who has been turning heads so far in the trade market.

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