Cardinals Could Target Pair Of Young Pirates Arms To Bolster Pitching Staff

The Pirates may have what the Cardinals are looking for.

Sep 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A hat and glove belonging to Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jared Triolo (not pictured) on the field against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have important work to do at the Winter Meetings. They’ll be trading certain players and will be trying to set themselves up for the future.

Brendan Donovan seems to be their most likely trade chip, and he can bring back the best haul of prospects. Specifically, the Cardinals need young and controllable starting pitching.

Plenty of teams have what they are looking for, and they’ll be receiving calls from a lot of teams for Donovan. John Denton of MLB.com proposed the idea of St. Louis sending Donovan to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a pair of young arms.

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Cardinals Could Get What They Need From Pirates

Mar 7, 2025; Bradenton, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jared Jones (37) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning during spring training at LECOM Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

“What if the Cards could land Miami's Eury Pérez, Cleveland's Tanner Bibee or Pittsburgh's Jared Jones or Bubba Chandler?” Denton wrote.

Chandler is the No. 14 prospect in all of Major League Baseball, and he showed some promise this year with the Pirates, going 4-1 with a 4.02 ERA in four starts and three relief appearances. The 23-year-old right-hander is under contract through 2031.

Jones is under contract through the 2029 season. The 24-year-old has dealt with some injuries, but still has shown promise, making 22 starts in 2024. He missed all of 2025.

It might be hard for the Cardinals to land both starters from the Pirates, but Pittsburgh is looking for offense and they could be more aggressive this offseason than they have been in years past.

Donovan could give them what they need offensively, while the Cardinals could pick up some promising young pitching that sets them up well for the next several years.

They are rebuilding and likely won’t contend for the next few years, but these two arms could give them what they are looking for, as well as some pieces to build around in the coming years.

The time has come for the Cardinals to be bold. Even though they’re rebuilding, they can still be aggressive in building for the future and adding key pieces to their roster for 2026 and beyond.

It will be interesting to see what the Cardinals are able to do at the Winter Meetings, but fans can expect a lot of activity from Chaim Bloom and the front office in the next several days.

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