Cardinals Urged To Acquire Mariners All-Star Pitcher In Big Move

This could be a mutually beneficial move for both teams.

May 20, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the Seattle Mariners armed forces day hat in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have a big week ahead of them in Orlando. The Winter Meetings will soon kick off, and they have some big moves to make.

They have set a high asking price for All-Star second baseman Brendan Donovan. Trading him will allow St. Louis to bring back the best possible haul of pitching prospects.

The Cardinals need young and controllable starting pitching, and Chaim Bloom appears prepared to make a big move to get it. John Denton of MLB.com proposed the idea of St. Louis targeting a big arm from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Donovan.

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Cardinals Can Make Big Splash With Possible Donovan Trade

Oct 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo (22) throws to first for an out against Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Andres Gimenez (0) in the seventh inning during game seven of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

“Because the Cardinals aren’t likely to be World Series contenders again until at least 2027 or ’28, they’d be smart to deal Donovan while his value is at its peak. Would the Mariners surrender Bryan Woo?” Denton wrote.

Woo would be tough to acquire from the Mariners, as he has been one of their top starters over the past few seasons. This year, he won 15 games and posted a 2.94 ERA while also recording 198 strikeouts over 186 ⅔ innings pitched.

The 25-year-old was an All-Star this year. He isn’t a free agent until 2030 and brings swing-and-miss to a rotation. He has the kind of makeup that the Cardinals are looking for.

If the Cardinals do send Donovan to Seattle, Woo would be a good target. They’ll have to sell high on their own All-Star, but the Mariners have the starting pitching depth that they would want in order to make a deal.

Woo could be a solid replacement for Sonny Gray, who was just traded to the Boston Red Sox last week. The Cardinals could use a young pitcher to lead their rotation as they begin their rebuild, and Woo would be somebody that they could build around for several years.

Chaim Bloom has already been bold with some of his moves, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make another bold move that helps the Cardinals strengthen their future.

The Cardinals may be rebuilding, but they could also benefit from adding pieces, and Bloom seems willing to do that as the Winter Meetings approach. We’ll see what he has up his sleeve.

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