Cardinals' Best Fit For Brendan Donovan Isn't Alex Bregman-Less Red Sox

The St. Louis Cardinals are two trades away from a near-perfect offseason.

Chaim Bloom took over as the team's president of baseball operations after the 2025 season came to a close and he has been a breath of fresh air for the organization. His job this offseason has been to maximize the team in the short term, while trying to offload veterans from the organization. He has done just that. The Cardinals traded Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras away and brought back a handful of intriguing hurlers.

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On top of this, the Cardinals have opened up opportunities for young guys, like Alec Burleson having a clear path to playing time at first base. The offseason has been a success so far on paper but it can be better. If the Cardinals trade Brendan Donovan away for a large return and either in a separate deal -- or even the same one -- flip Nolan Arenado, the offseason will be exactly where the club needs it to be.

Who will win the Brendan Donovan sweepstakes?

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan \ — 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

On the Donovan front, things are looking up. The Cardinals have the league's top infield trade chip with Ketel Marte reportedly off the market. Also, Alex Bregman is now off the market and joined a team -- Chicago Cubs -- that was not linked to Donovan in any way. Unsurprisingly, the Red Sox have been floated as a fit for Donovan -- especially after losing Bregman -- but MLB.com's Will Leitch actually called the Seattle Mariners the fit that makes the most sense.

"The Cardinals’ path to trading Brendan Donovan is now clear," Leitch wrote. "There has been a certain amount of consternation among Cardinals fans that both Donovan and Nolan Arenado are still on the team. Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras were both traded to Boston before the calendar flipped to the new year, but has the clearing out and rebuilding project now stalled?

"But really, team president Chaim Bloom was waiting for precisely this -- for Bregman to sign. Now that the Diamondbacks have taken Ketel Marte off the market and Bo Bichette is (presumably) the next to sign, Donovan is the clear and obvious next-best option for anyone looking to add infield offense (and defense). The Mariners still make the most sense, but Bloom now should have many options from which to extract the highest reward."

It has been reported that the Cardinals want at least two high-end prospects. What makes the Mariners stand out is the fact that they are loaded with high-end prospects, including switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, who the club reportedly has had interest in.

Seattle lost Jorge Polanco this offseason and has the prospects to get a deal done. With Bregman off the board and seemingly more potential competition, hopefully this leads the Mariners to meet the Cardinals' lofty asking price and get a deal over the finish line.

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