Inside The Cardinals

Full Cardinals-Brendan Donovan Trade Details Reveal Quiet Steal

The St. Louis Cardinals pulled off a big-time trade on Monday.
Patrick McAvoy|
Sep 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (21) take his position against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images
Sep 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (21) take his position against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsSeattle MarinersTampa Bay Rays

The St. Louis Cardinals held out for a while, but ended up trading Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners on Monday in a three-team blockbuster swap including the Tampa Bay Rays.

With Donovan, it wasn't guaranteed that he was going to be traded. For example, on Jan. 26, FanSided's Robert Murray gave an update on the Donovan market and noted that at the time, the team didn't feel like they needed to trade Donovan. On top of this, Murray noted that the team would only trade Donovan if the right deal came around.

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On Monday, that happened. The Athletic's Katie Woo and Chad Jennings were the first to report that the three-team deal was close. Eventually, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the deal was finalized on Monday night.

The Cardinals swung a great move

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan
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 Seattle Mariners have acquired All-Star Brendan Donovan. Deal is done. Full trade, per sources: Mariners receive: Donovan," Passan wrote. "Cardinals receive: RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, CF Tai Peete, OF Colton Ledbetter and two competitive-balance Round B picks. Rays receive: 3B Ben Williamson."

Most of the headlines out there likely will feature Cijntje, Peete or Ledbetter. Cijntje is the gem of the trade. It's not often you find a switch-pitcher. That's not a typo. He can pitch left-handed and right-handed.

Peete and Ledbetter are both intriguing outfield prospects themselves. But the underrated win of the deal are the two competitive-balance Round B picks. Competitive-balance Round B picks are draft picks that fall between the second and third rounds of the MLB Draft. The Mariners were scheduled to have the No. 68 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft and the Rays had the No. 72 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.

So, the Cardinals aren't just getting three intriguing prospects with high ceilings, including a unique switch-pitcher. Instead, the Cardinals actually will end up with two more high draft picks when this is all said and done. It's tough to see Donovan go, but the Cardinals are loaded with prospects and picks now.

More MLB: Cardinals Roster Breakdown After Brendan Donovan Stunner

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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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