Cardinals May Be Done This Offseason After Losing Brendan Donovan Suitor

Are the Cardinals set for 2026?

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

The St. Louis Cardinals have been actively rebuilding this offseason. They already traded Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray and have also been looking into offers for All-Star second baseman Brendan Donovan.

Among the top suitors are the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners. Another team in the mix was the San Francisco Giants, who are likely out of the mix now after signing Luis Arraez. John Denton of MLB.com notes that the Red Sox, Mariners and Kansas City Royals have continued to show interest but are unwilling to meet the Cardinals' asking price.

With that in mind, it would seem that the Cardinals are done making moves this offseason.

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Cardinals' busy offseason may be finished

Sep 16, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) is out at second base as St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) turns a double play in the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

Katie Woo of The Athletic notes that the Cardinals are only going to trade Donovan if they are blown away by an offer. They don't feel the need to move him, and if they don't get the offer they want, he'll stay in St. Louis.

With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in less than two weeks, the most likely outcome appears to be that Donovan will remain in St. Louis, at least until the trade deadline. In addition, there has been no traction in left-hander JoJo Romero's market, and while outfielder Lars Nootbaar has generated some interest, he's not going to bring back much in return, as he is expected to be out for the first few weeks of the season after undergoing surgery on both heels.

Unless a team blows the Cardinals away with an offer for Donovan, it would seem likely that they've done all they need to do this winter. 2026 may be a rough year in St. Louis, but if teams are not going to ramp up their pursuits of Donovan, then there really isn't anything left for the Cardinals to do.

They've shed salary and also brought back a few decent prospects in exchange for the players they traded, and while Donovan can get them more in return, teams don't appear to be valuing him the same as the Cardinals do.

Again, the Giants are almost certainly out of the running for Donovan, so that at least eliminates one suitor. But unless something changes quickly, fans shouldn't be surprised if the Cardinals are ultimately done this winter.

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