Cardinals Have 2 Front-Runners For Brendan Donovan, Including Giants

The St. Louis Cardinals have a red-hot name on the trade block right now and it sounds like the market is starting to fully come into picture.

There have been rumors out there all offseason about Brendan Donovan and the possibility of a trade. The 28-year-old was an All-Star in 2025 and has two seasons of team control left. Towards the beginning of the season, the idea of a Donovan trade didn't seem overly likely. That isn't the case any longer. It seems like more and more noise comes out about him each day. On Saturday, The Athletic's Katie Woo took it a step further by indicating that the San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners are the two front-runners to acquire the utility man.

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"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," Woo wrote. "The Cardinals, who are in the midst of a rebuild under first-year president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, have been shopping Donovan throughout the offseason...

The Cardinals All-Star is on the trade block

Jul 26, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) is out at second base as St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) tries in vain for a double play in the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

"But the Giants could be just as aggressive in their pursuit. Several top prospects have been discussed in negotiations, including infielder Gavin Kilen and left-hander Carson Whisenhunt, according to a league source. It’s believed at least two organizational prospects will be required to land Donovan, who has acquired interest from over half the league."

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported during the winter meetings that the Giants, Mariners, and the Kansas City Royals were among the "consistent" suitors for Donovan.

"With that enhanced approach and new hires coming online the Cardinals are taking the available time to explore the trade interest," Goold wrote. "That pace has given teams a chance to remain in contact, including those who are the most consistent (or perhaps persistent) in their interest in Donovan: Count the San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners among the teams that have remained in contact with the Cardinals, and the Kansas City Royals are also in that group, according to multiple sources."

The Giants surely have shown that they aren't afraid to get a trade done under president of baseball operations, Buster Posey. San Francisco acquired Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox throughout the 2025 season and now are among the teams to watch for Donovan.

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