Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Exploring Electric Switch-Pitcher In Brendan Donovan Talks

The St. Louis Cardinals are aiming high...
Patrick McAvoy|
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
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

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Things have gone somewhat quiet from a trade perspective around Major League Baseball.

Before the trade deadline, there were a few big trades around the league, including the St. Louis Cardinals sending Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets and Texas Rangers swapping Brandon Nimmo and Marcus Semien, among other deals.

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Rumors have been all over the place, but things have gone a bit quiet from a transaction standpoint. We should see the dam start to break in the not-so-distant future, especially if the Cardinals trade Brandon Donovan away. The All-Star utility man has been talked about in trade rumors more than the vast majority of players around the league this winter. On Sunday, The Athletic's Katie Woo reported that the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants have emerged as the "front-runners" to land Donovan while noting the club is looking for "multiple top prospects."

The Cardinals are looking around the trade market

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

"The Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants have emerged as front-runners for St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan, sources familiar with negotiations tell The Athletic, with the Cardinals looking to land multiple top prospects in a return."

When talking specifically about who the Cardinals have inquired about, one guy that is very interesting is Mariners' 2024 first-round pick, Jurrangelo Cijntje, among others.

"Chaim Bloom, have been shopping Donovan throughout the offseason," Woo wrote. "The Mariners have been linked to the 28-year-old infielder for several weeks, but a source described trade momentum as “picking up” since MLB’s Winter Meetings concluded Wednesday. One name the Cardinals have inquired on is pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, a first-round draft pick for Seattle in 2024, who throws both right- and left-handed. Outfielder Lazaro Montes has also been discussed, among others."

The 22-year-old is intriguing because he does something that few others can. He's an ambidextrous starting pitcher.

Now, that's pretty insane. Going over 90 miles per hour with both arms? That's ridiculous. He's already had success professionally as well. In 2025, he made 26 total appearances -- including 23 starts -- and had a 3.99 ERA. He was at his best in Double-A, where he had a 2.67 ERA in seven starts.

If the Cardinals could get him in a package for Donovan, that would be next level.

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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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