Cardinals, Royals Brendan Donovan Rumors Facing Snag

At this point, it would be somewhat of a surprise if Brendan Donovan were still a member of the St. Louis Cardinals when the 2026 season rolls around.

There simply has been too much smoke around him this offseason to think a deal won't get done, unless the organization has an asking price that simply isn't realistic. Reports have swirled all offseason to this point about the volume of teams pursuing the All-Star utility man. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, and Seattle Mariners have shown "consistent" interest in Donovan. Katie Woo of The Athletic reported that the Giants and Mariners are the "front-runners."

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On Saturday, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal gave a look at the market and noted that the Royals may need to shed payroll if they want to be in the mix for Donovan.

Will the Cardinals get a deal done?

Sep 12, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second base Brendan Donovan (33) gets a base hit against the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

"The Royals had been telling clubs and agents they were operating with limited financial flexibility," Rosenthal wrote. "But ownership allowed the front office to extend for Strahm, who became a more pressing addition after the Royals traded lefty reliever Angel Zerpa to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder Isaac Collins and righty reliever Nick Mears.

"Shedding payroll still might be necessary for the Royals to acquire one more hitter, ideally the Red Sox’s Jarren Duran or St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan, according to people familiar with their plans. The team remains open to moving left-hander Kris Bubic, who is projected to earn $6 million in arbitration. A trade of righty reliever John Schreiber ($3.8 million projection) or Bailey Falter ($3.3 million) also would create flexibility.

"While the Royals are disinclined to trade their top starting pitchers, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Cole Ragans, they continue to get hit on a variety of others, including Bubic, lefty Noah Cameron and righties Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek and Luinder Avila, sources say."

If St. Louis wants pitching in exchange for Donovan, the Royals could help. For the Cardinals, the interest is clearly there around the league. Now, it's a matter of getting a deal over the finish line with someone.

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