New Suitor Enters The Mix For Cardinals' Brendan Donovan

The Cardinals may have another team in the mix.

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

The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of Major League Baseball’s busiest teams this winter, essentially purging their roster of any high-priced veterans. But those aren’t the only players St. Louis is looking to trade.

Brendan Donovan could be next. He has two years remaining on his contract with St. Louis, and those two years don’t exactly line up with the Cardinals’ next window of contention.

While the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants are the front-runners for Donovan, a new team has reportedly entered the mix, according to Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

AL East Powerhouse Enters The Mix For Brendan Donovan

Sep 16, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) crosses home plate for a run against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

“Traction with Donovan appeared to be building shortly after the Winter Meetings, with the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants emerging as frontrunners. However, negotiations stalled as the [Willson] Contreras trade began to take shape. Now the Red Sox have again come into the picture as a potential trade partner. The Cardinals and Red Sox have discussed a trade for Donovan.”

The Red Sox could offer the Cardinals a lot for Donovan. St. Louis won’t trade him unless they’re blown away by an offer, but the Red Sox are just the team that could do that.

They have a lot of young starting pitching depth in their system and even on their roster. Perhaps they could afford to give up somebody like Brayan Bello to give St. Louis the established starter they have been after this offseason.

The Cardinals could then have second base opened up for JJ Wetherholt as they enter the 2026 season, while also clearing out their logjam of left-handed hitters.

Chaim Bloom has already made two trades with Boston, sending Contreras and Sonny Gray there prior to the turn of the calendar. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Bloom pull off another deal with the Red Sox, the team he was once the Chief Baseball Officer for.

The Cardinals need young and controllable pitching, and with Seattle not willing to trade from their Major League roster, the Cardinals may need to find another suitor for Donovan. The Red Sox may be willing to part with some of their young starting pitching.

We’ll see if a deal materializes between the two teams as the calendar flips to 2026.

More MLB: Angels Linked To Cardinals Fan-Favorite In Potential Trade Scenario