Cardinals Could Pull Off Blockbuster Brendan Donovan Trade With AL Central Contender

The Cardinals could get exactly what they need from this AL Central team.

Sep 16, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) is out at second base as St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) turns a double play in the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals find themselves at a critical juncture this offseason. There are moves that need to be made in order for them to rebuild and start the process of building a consistent contender in the next few years.

One of the biggest moves that they can make is to potentially trade Brendan Donovan. He holds the most value of any of their trade chips and could bring back a strong haul of young pitching for a team that desperately needs it.

However, one team in particular, the Cleveland Guardians, might match up best with the Cardinals due to their supply of pitching.

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Guardians, Cardinals Match Well For Potential Brendan Donovan Trade

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

The Guardians likely won’t give up Gavin Williams, but they do have a lot of solid young pitchers in their system, including Khal Stephen, who came over from the Toronto Blue Jays in the Shane Bieber deal, and left-handers Logan Allen and Parker Messick.

It’s important to note that two Cardinals executives, Rob Cerfolio and Larry Day came to St. Louis from the Guardians and are largely responsible for putting together that farm system, so they could help the Cardinals bring back a major haul in exchange for Donovan if that is where they ultimately send him.

The Cardinals need young, controllable starting pitching to fill out their rotation for 2026, and Cleveland might be their best bet in terms of finding what they are looking for. Cleveland also needs offense, and the All-Star second baseman can give them what they need as they try and build a contender for 2026.

The time has come for the Cardinals to go with a younger team. And to do that, they’ll have to make some tough decisions. Donovan only has two years before free agency, so he may not fit into their long-term plans.

However, if the Cardinals do send him to Cleveland, they can find pieces that do fit the mold of what they are looking for in the future. Young pitching with swing-and-miss stuff is what they need if they want to strengthen their depth in that area, and it’s the one area that needs the most attention for St. Louis this offseason.

St. Louis and Cleveland do match up pretty well as possible trade partners and could give each other what they need for 2026 in a deal, especially if it involves Donovan, who Cleveland has interest in.

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