Latest Report Could Narrow Suitors For Cardinals’ All-Star

The Cardinals may have to go back to the drawing board.

Sep 11, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of the 9/11 ribbon on a St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals continued their rebuild earlier this week when they finally shipped Nolan Arenado out. They sent him to the Arizona Diamondbacks after a long saga dating back to last offseason.

Now, they’ll turn their attention to trading Brendan Donovan, their only All-Star in 2025. The veteran second baseman is under team control until 2028, which makes him an attractive trade piece, and the Cardinals could get a lot for him.

Among the suitors are the Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners. However, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic notes that Donovan may not be the best fit for Boston and also won’t be enough for the Red Sox to trade certain prospects.

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Red Sox May Not Be Best Match For Cardinals

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

“St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan might not move the needle as much but could still be a fit given his solid defense at second (2 OAA) and bat-to-ball skills, but the Red Sox likely aren’t going to offer [Payton] Tolle, [Connelly] Early or [Brayan] Bello for him even if he’s under team control through 2028,” McCaffrey wrote.

Donovan hit .287 with 10 home runs and a .775 OPS during the regular season in 2025. The Cardinals have already made two trades with the Red Sox, having sent Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray there. 

Boston is also pursuing Bo Bichette after losing Alex Bregman, and they have a lot of left-handed bats. But if the Cardinals are going to send Donovan to Boston, they likely aren’t going to land any of Boston’s top pitching prospects or Bello. 

Ultimately, that could narrow the list of suitors for Donovan down to the Mariners and Giants. Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reports that Donovan is the top priority for the Mariners as the offseason progresses.

Donovan is not Boston’s top priority, and even if they miss on Bichette, they may not give the Cardinals exactly what they’re looking for. The Cardinals will only trade Donovan if they are blown away by an offer, and with the latest from McCaffrey, it seems unlikely that Boston will be able to do that.

The Cardinals will want top prospects, and while Boston has plenty, doing business with them again may not be their best course of action.

More MLB: Nolan Arenado May Open Door For Cardinals To Move All-Star, Insider