Cardinals Fan Favorite Not Ruled Out For 2026 Return

If you are a St. Louis Cardinals fan, it would be pretty difficult to avoid all of the trade rumors swirling around All-Star utility man Brendan Donovan since the 2025 campaign came to a close.

Chaim Bloom made it clear that the organization was open for business shortly after taking over as the team's president of baseball operations and then proved it by shipping Sonny Gray up to the Boston Red Sox early on this offseason. The club followed up by trading Willson Contreras to Boston.

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Since then, all of the trade noise around the organization has centered around Donovan and Nolan Arenado for the most part. While Donovan remains among the most popular chips in the league, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that it is not a guarantee that Donovan will be moved while hosting a question-and-answer session with fans.

The Cardinals don't have to make a move

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

"Keeping Donovan is one of the options for sure," Goold wrote. "Chaim Bloom has talked candidly about the benefit of keeping him when they're looking to trade (or have already traded) so many other veterans. He's said that specifically -- that Donovan brings a stability and presence that has value to the team as it enters this reboot. They want to get the most for him that they can, and part of the reason why is because they know how much he means to them if he stays."

Donovan is just 28 years old and is under team control for the next two seasons. The Cardinals are going to have a young roster in 2026, to say the least. If the Cardinals were to keep Donovan, he would actually be on the older side of the roster in 2026.

An important factor in the Donovan sweepstakes is the fact that he can play all over the field. So, realistically, the Cardinals could plug him into a corner outfield spot with Lars Noobaar up in the air to kick off the season, or some place in the infield depending on how other moves shake out.

Imagine if the Cardinals could trade Arenado and have an infield featuring Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson, Donovan, and JJ Wetherholt? That would be a fun combo.

More MLB: Cardinals Get Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan Market Update