Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Next Steps as Dust Settles on Brendan Donovan Blockbuster

The St. Louis Cardinals should have at least one more move up their sleeve.
Patrick McAvoy|
Aug 28, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chaim Bloom, Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox on the field before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Aug 28, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chaim Bloom, Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox on the field before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals’ next move should be obvious.

St. Louis ripped the band-aid off and clearly is building for the future. The latest — and biggest — example of this certainly was the club trading Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners in a three-team deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Cardinals got three prospects and two draft picks in exchange for him. The best part, St. Louis didn’t have to include cash in the deal like it did as it traded Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras away.

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The Cardinals have done a phenomenal job this offseason specifically adding young arms to the organization. St. Louis has given itself so many dice roles that if it hits on a few, it will be set up nicely for the foreseeable future in the starting rotation.

There's about one week to go until the Cardinals will kick off Spring Training, as well. It's an exciting time, but the Cardinals have arguably two moves left to make.

Two more moves for the Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero
Sep 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero (59) throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the eighth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Trade JoJo Romero
Romero was at the center of trade rumors at the beginning of the offseason with the Mariners actually being one of the teams most connected to him. The New York Yankees have been another team linked to him. At this point, the band-aid is off. The Cardinals should trade every player of value who doesn't have a long-term future with the team. Romero is going to be a free agent after the 2026 season after logging a 2.07 ERA in 65 appearances in 2025.

While it's always great to have high-end relievers on the roster, the Cardinals should act now. They always could again at the 2026 trade deadline, but they have gotten the ball moving on trades this offseason. Rip the band-aid off once again.

Sign a Right-Handed Bat
The Cardinals have a lefty-heavy lineup, even with Donovan out the door. With Lars Nootbaar also unclear for Opening Day and a replacement option gone in Donovan, the Cardinals are actually thin in the outfield. A veteran, right-handed bat, like Tommy Pham, would solve that problem.

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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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