Cardinals' Brendan Donovan Update Drops Including Giants, Mariners

Will the St. Louis Cardinals still employ Brendan Donovan by the time Opening Day arrives?

With each passing day, the chances of Donovan staying appear to be higher and higher. That has been the theme around St. Louis over the last few weeks. The Athletic's Jim Bowden, The Athletic's Katie Woo and FanSided's Robert Murray have all reported variations of this same idea. St. Louis won't trade Donovan unless its lofty asking price is met, which is the right approach. He has two seasons of control and if the Cardinals don't move him, they would be keeping an All-Star and clubhouse leader around a young roster. Overall, a good idea.

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ESPN's Jeff Passan held a question-and-answer session with fans on Threads and was asked about Donovan, unsurprisingly, and he had a similar sentiment.

The Cardinals don't need to make a move

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

"They're still on Brendan Donovan," Passan said of the San Francisco Giants. "Though the longer that goes without resolution, the likelier he seems to remain in St. Louis, which always has been on the spectrum of potential outcomes, even as the Cardinals have listened on him all winter. If not Donovan, they could turn to Luis Arráez and hope his defense improves. I don't see them matching up with the Cubs on Nico Hoerner at this point."

This aligns with the other reporting out there. The longer Donovan remains available, the more likely he is to stick around, despite consistent interest from San Francisco. The other team most consistently linked to Donovan has been the Seattle Mariners. Passan had an update on them as well.

"At one point I'd have said yes," Passan said of Donovan going to the Mariners. "I still think the Mariners are the best fit. There have been concepts that had real traction. But still no deal. I think the calculus is simple: He makes a ton of sense for the Mariners, the Cardinals know that and St. Louis is holding out for the sort of return it feels a player of Donovan's caliber and versatility warrants. With two years of control remaining, St. Louis is in no hurry to move him. It can do so at the deadline or before the potential lockout."

So, while these teams may be interested, that doesn't mean St. Louis is dropping its asking price. By this point, they have to know what the Cardinals want. If they don't meet the price, expect to see Donovan in St. Louis in 2026.

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