Why Mariners, Red Sox Haven't Acquired Cardinals' Brendan Donovan

The Brendan Donovan market took another turn on Saturday without the St. Louis Cardinals even making a move.

Three-time All-Star and three-time batting champion Luis Arráez signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants. San Francisco, notably, has been one of the teams most consistently involved in the Donovan sweepstakes. With Spring Training approaching, the Giants now have a new full-time second baseman, seemingly taking them out of the mix for Donovan.

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

MLB.com's John Denton gave a brief — and unsurprising — take on the Donovan market on Saturday night. Denton noted that the Giants are "almost assuredly" out of Donovan and that while the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals have been in on him, they have been "unwilling" to meet the Cardinals' "steep" asking price.

The Cardinals All-Star is still 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

"This almost assuredly takes the Giants out of the trade market for Cardinals All-Star Brendan Donovan," Denton wrote. "The Mariners, RedSox and Royals have shown interest in trading for Donovan, but they have been unwilling to meet [St. Louis'] steep asking price."

February is now here and the Cardinals are just over one week away from kicking off Spring Training action. While the rumors have been consistent — and loud — throughout the offseason, it certainly seems like there's a growing chance that they will all be for naught. ESPN's Jeff Passan added fuel to the idea of Donovan sticking around.

"Though the longer that goes without resolution, the likelier he seems to remain in St. Louis, which always has been on the spectrum of potential outcomes, even as the Cardinals have listened on him all winter," Passan wrote.

The Cardinals have had a high asking price all offseason and clearly it hasn't been met — or lowered.

If Donovan is not traded, on the bright side, the Cardinals will have a 29-year-old All-Star who can play all over the diamond in 2026 around a young team. The Cardinals have a glut of left-handed bats and there will be tough lineup decisions to make, but Donovan is a star and a clubhouse leader.

With Lars Nootbaar up in the air for Opening Day, Donovan easily could slide into a corner outfield spot in the short term if Nootbaar is unable to go. The Cardinals have done a good job getting trades done with Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras. The club should feel comfortable knowing the organization is in a better spot heading into 2026.

More MLB: Cardinals, Brendan Donovan Market Shifts Thanks to Luis Arráez