Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Can't Afford To Let 28-Year-Old All-Star Go

The St. Louis Cardinals shouldn't make a move just to do it...
Patrick McAvoy|
Apr 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals players hats and gloves in the dugout during a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images
Apr 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals players hats and gloves in the dugout during a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images | David Kohl-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

It's not secret that the St. Louis Cardinals have a complicated few months ahead.

Chaim Bloom's job is going to be navigating some difficult waters that include trying to improve the farm system, trying to improve a big league team that was under .500 last year and also looking to trade some veteran talent away -- including some big names like Nolan Arenado or Sonny Gray. There are going to be a lot of moving parts.

One move the club arguably should avoid, though, is trading away Brendan Donovan. First and foremost, he's a very talented player. The 28-year-old had the best season of his career in 2025 as he slashed .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs, 50 RBIs, three stolen bases, 32 doubles, 64 runs scored, and a .775 OPS in 118 games played. He earned his first All-Star nod and saw time across the diamond, per usual, playing second base, shortstop, and left field. He's a jack-of-all-trades who does pretty much everything well.

The Cardinals should keep Brendan Donovan

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan
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

What makes him arguably even more important to the organization is the fact that he's one of the biggest leaders in the clubhouse. He was praised all season for the work that he did in the clubhouse, and he even was called someone who could replace Paul Goldschmidt as a leader in the clubhouse early on.

If the Cardinals are able to trade away some of their veterans, they could have a pretty young team overall next year. The Cardinals already have a lot of young talent like Michael McGreevy, Matthew Liberatore, Iván Herrera, Jimmy Crooks, Masyn Winn, Victor Scott II, Jordan Walker, and Nolan Gorman among others. And more coming up, including JJ Wetherholt. Having someone who already is a respected voice in the clubhouse, like Donovan, is integral to the success of a young team. Donovan isn't old by any means. He's just 28 years old himself and is under team control for a few more seasons as well. At a time like this when there are so many moving parts, keeping a constant like Donovan is a no-brainer.

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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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