Mariners Emerging As Potential Front Runners For Cardinals All-Star

The Cardinals have an ideal trade partner awaiting them for their All-Star.

May 20, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the Seattle Mariners armed forces day hat in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have been busy this offseason. They’ve already traded Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox and have also signed right-hander Dustin May to a one-year contract.

But they aren’t done just yet. They’re rebuilding, and they have trades to make. Their top trade chip is Brendan Donovan, who was an All-Star this year.

With the trade market moving, two frontrunners have emerged for Donovan. According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, one of them is the Seattle Mariners, and the Cardinals have several prospects in mind that they hope to acquire if they make a deal with Seattle.

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Cardinals Have Clear Brendan Donovan Trade Partner Waiting 

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 Mariners have been linked to the 28-year-old infielder for several weeks, but a source described trade momentum as “picking up” since MLB’s Winter Meetings concluded Wednesday,” Woo wrote.

Seattle lost Jorge Polanco to the New York Mets on Saturday, which leaves a hole at second base. Donovan checks a lot of boxes for Seattle. 

He hit .287 with 10 home runs and a .775 OPS during the regular season and was the only Cardinal to be named an All-Star in 2025. The Cardinals also need a lot of young and controllable pitching in the trades they make, and Seattle has a lot of depth in that department.

The Cardinals have reportedly targeted pitcher Jurrangelo Cijente and outfielder Lazaro Montes, but they’ll also need a Major League ready arm that they can slot into their rotation. They won’t be able to land Logan Gilbert or Bryan Woo, but somebody like Bryce Miller could make sense for the Cardinals as they try to fill out their rotation for 2026.

Trading Donovan would help the Cardinals move along with their rebuild and set themselves up well for the future. Chaim Bloom has been effective so far this offseason, and fans are enjoying watching his process.

It will be interesting to see what comes next for the Cardinals and what Bloom has planned for potential trades. The goal is to get younger and build for the future instead of contend immediately. 

Even as they rebuild, the Cardinals can add some very promising young pieces to their roster as they focus on the years ahead and getting the organization back to where it needs to be.

More MLB: Cardinals Have 2 Front-Runners For Brendan Donovan, Including Giants