Favorite Emerging In Race For Cardinals All-Star Brendan Donovan

The St. Louis Cardinals still have one big trade candidate to watch out for. Or, could there be more?

If you have been following along with the Cardinals this offseason, you've likely heard a lot about Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras, who all ended up getting moved. The other guy who has been in that group with a massive volume of trade rumors has been All-Star utility man Brendan Donovan. Donovan actually has been the most talked-about trade candidate for the organization because of the fact that he can play all over the field and there are a handful of teams that want him.

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The Seattle Mariners have been the team linked to him the most all offseason. Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reported that Donovan remains the Mariners' "top priority." On Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic also gave the Mariners some buzz by saying that he views them as the "favorite" for Donovan while also mentioning Lars Nootbaar as an option for a package.

The Cardinals need to consider all options

Aug 31, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) runs to third on a single hit by designated hitter Ivan Herrera (not pictured) in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

"I still see Seattle as the favorite and the reason for that is their farm system is one of the best in the game," Rosenthal said on "Foul Territory." San Francisco is in the mix and has been for Donovan for quite some time, as Katie Woo reported. But their farm system is not very good at all and they don't have much to give that the Cardinals would necessarily want.

"Then there's Kansas City. They've been kind of on the fringes of this thing the whole time. I don't see them necessarily outbidding the Mariners, but they do have some interesting young pitching in particular. Those are the teams and I do believe that he'll get dealt and the idea of Nootbaar and Donovan together to Seattle, I could see that being a possibility."

Nootbaar was the subject of some buzz early on in the offseason, but he underwent heel surgery, which quieted the noise. A package of the duo would surely bring a big return to St. Louis, but the Cardinals would need to add an outfielder on the open market if that were to happen.

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