Cardinals, Mariners Had 'Lengthy' Discussions About Blockbuster Trade

The clock continues to tick across Major League Baseball but the significant movement appears to be at an impasse.

With December just a few days from ending, there is still a significant amount of talent still out there for the taking in free agency and on the trade block. In free agency, a few of the top options are Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, and Framber Valdez. But the list is endless. The trade market is a bit more unpredictable, but when it comes to the St. Louis Cardinals alone, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, JoJo Romero, and Lars Nootbaar have been heavily speculated about. Outside of St. Louis, Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks is someone who has been on the block.

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When it comes to Donovan -- and Marte a bit -- the Seattle Mariners have consistently been mentioned as a suitor on the trade block. On Sunday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times gave an update on where things stand on that front.

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Sep 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) hits a solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the third inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

"Jerry Dipoto, president of baseball operations, and general manager Justin Hollander are still highly motivated to make more moves to improve their roster," Divish wrote. "They’ve engaged in lengthy discussions with the St. Louis Cardinals about acquiring infielder Brendan Donovan in a trade. But multiple teams are interested in Donovan, who can play second and third base and is a solid hitter from the left side with two years of club control. Chaim Bloom, the Cardinals’ new president of baseball operations, has been calculated in evaluating offers, knowing he has a valuable trade chip.

"The Mariners aren’t looking to trade from their MLB roster to get Donovan, which could be a reason a trade hasn’t been consummated yet. But with a loaded farm system, they are willing to move some of their top prospects in a package for Donovan, including switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, their first-round pick in 2024."

Seattle and the San Francisco Giants were reported as the "front-runners" to land Donovan way back on Dec. 13 by Katie Woo of The Athletic. He's the type of player who can help any team and Seattle is an intriguing target simply because of the volume of high-end pitching the organization has.

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