Cardinals Could Have Clear Path To Trade All-Star To Mariners

The Cardinals may have an opening now

May 20, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the Seattle Mariners armed forces day hat in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are about to undergo a fire sale this offseason as they fully commit to their rebuild for 2026. They need to add young and controllable pitching in trades.

Their top trade chip is second baseman Brendan Donovan, and a lot of teams have shown interest in the 2025 All-Star, including the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners recently lost Jorge Polanco to the New York Mets, per Will Sammon of The Athletic. But with Polanco now off the board, the Cardinals may now have a prime opportunity to cash in on Donovan’s value and bring back the pitching that they need.

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Cardinals Have Golden Opportunity To Trade Brendan Donovan

Sep 16, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) throws out Cincinnati Reds third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (3) (not pictured) at first base in the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

The Mariners have already brought back Josh Naylor, but they were prioritizing a reunion with Polanco. But now that those chances are gone, they may up the ante on their pursuit of Donovan.

The Cardinals could bring back a massive haul for their All-Star second baseman. This would allow them to load up on young pitching and also clear out the logjam of left-handed hitters, which could potentially clear a spot on the roster for JJ Wetherholt.

The Mariners have a lot of young and controllable starting pitching, and they can afford to give some of it up in a potential trade with St. Louis. But the Cardinals now have a golden opportunity to capitalize on Donovan’s value before the holidays.

The 28-year-old only has two years left of team control, and that timeline doesn’t exactly line up with the Cardinals next window of contention, so it makes sense for them to trade Donovan and bring back a solid return while they still can.

Chaim Bloom already traded Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox, but he now has a great opportunity to bring back some very valuable pieces from the Mariners for Donovan.

It will be interesting to see if Seattle chooses Donovan or Ketel Marte, as they are interested in both players, but Donovan’s price tag likely just went up, which is good news for the Cardinals as they try to continue their rebuild and set themselves up for the future.

We’ll see what the Cardinals can bring back in a potential trade from Donovan. Seattle might ultimately be their best trade partner.

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