Giants Named Leading Trade Destination For Cardinals’ 2025 All-Star

The Giants have been one of the leading candidates to trade for him.

Jun 27, 2019; San Francisco, CA, USA; A detailed view of a San Francisco Giants batting helmet before a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Cody Glenn-Imagn Images | Cody Glenn-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have been shopping All-Star second baseman Brendan Donovan since the beginning of the offseason. He is their top trade candidate and could bring back the best haul of any of their chips.

Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray have already been dealt, so Donovan might be next. The San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners were named the top potential landing spots for the All-Star.

The Cardinals should only trade him if they can bring back the best possible haul, and it remains to be seen what team can give them that. Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report predicts that team will be the Giants.

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Will The Cardinals Trade Brendan Donovan?

Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) collects a ball hit by the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

”The Giants don't desperately need to add a second baseman, but Donovan would be an improvement over Casey Schmitt,” Kelly wrote.

“The other thing that makes Donovan such an intriguing trade candidate is that he has pretty extensive experience in left field, and can play pretty much every spot on the diamond. So you could trade for Donovan with the thought that he will be your second baseman on Opening Day, while knowing he could shift to first base or left field if a need arises there.”

While the Giants don’t necessarily need Donovan, they do have what the Cardinals would be looking for, which is top pitching prospects that might be Major League ready and have several years of club control left.

For this reason, they could be the best potential trade fit for the All-Star and could give the Cardinals what they are seeking in a potential deal.

The market for Donovan has slowed down a bit, but it should pick back up here in the next few weeks with only a few days remaining in 2025.

The Cardinals aren’t going to be a contender in 2026, so it makes sense to shop Donovan while his value is high and while he still has two years of club control.

Chaim Bloom has already been very busy this winter. Gray and Contreras are gone, and the Cardinals have also signed Dustin May to a one-year, $12.5 million contract for 2026. 

It will be interesting to see what the market looks like for Donovan once it picks back up, but it’s clear that this is going to be a full rebuild for the Cardinals.

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