Insider Adds Fuel To Cardinals-Red Sox Brendan Donovan Buzz

The St. Louis Cardinals All-Star has been available. But will a deal get done?

Jun 17, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) celebrates in the dugout after he scores during the second inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The market is still alive and well for St. Louis Cardinals All-Star utility man Brendan Donovan.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom didn't completely close the door on the idea of Donovan sticking around with the organization.

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"My general thought, you know, absent something that I know is imminent, is that most of the time, if a player is here, it's likelier that they're going to be here than not," Bloom said.

If a team steps up with an offer the Cardinals can't refuse, great. If a team doesn't and the Cardinals keep an All-Star utility man at least into the beginning of the 2026 season, also great. Either way, the Cardinals will be in a good position. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal shared that he views the Seattle Mariners as the favorites to land Donovan, but they aren't the only team in the sweepstakes. USA Today's Bob Nightengale floated the Boston Red Sox.

The Cardinals All-Star is available

Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) celebrates his double against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

"And, oh, the Red Sox still have a huge vacancy in the infield after missing out in Bregman," Nightengale wrote. "They have the starting pitching, and could certainly acquire St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan, or circle back with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Ketel Marte. While the D-backs publicly declared that Marte is off the trade block, they could change their mind if the right offer comes along."

Boston and St. Louis are familiar trade partners after getting deals done around Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray this offseason. The Red Sox have been linked to Donovan for a while. For the Cardinals, it doesn't matter if they make 10 trades with an individual team as long as they get a return they're looking for. If Boston can meet the Cardinals' asking price, it'd be worth considering a deal.

The Red Sox have a good farm system, but like the Cardinals, have a surplus of left-handed batters. Donovan makes senes from a position standpoint, but not an offensive one. But, again, if the Red Sox make a good enough offer, it's worth considering.

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