Brendan Donovan’s Trade Value Could Shape Cardinals’ Rebuild

One thing that will be good about the upcoming Major League Baseball offseason is the fact that at least some of the quetions that have been hanging over the St. Louis Cardinals will start to get answered.

There's a different vibe in St. Louis than the team is used to. The Cardinals have been one of the winningest teams in the National League in recent memory, aside from the last three seasons. The team already is in unchartered waters and it's going to be Chaim Bloom's job to get the team back to its former consistently-winning ways.

Right now, everything around the team is a question mark. Outside of guys like Masyn Winn and Michael McGreevy, it seems like everyone is up in the air. It's been talked about all year. That will continue into the offseason. But, fortunately, we'll start to learn about the team's direction over the next few months and then the conversation will be about how the pieces fit together, rather than who will be back.

On Friday, The Athletic's Katie Woo shared a great column highlighting a lot of these questions -- and issues with the team. On top of this, she provided some insight in some of the most talked-about guys on the roster right now. For example, she said that Brendan Donovan's trade value is "has never been higher."

Who will be back in 2025 in St. Louis?

Sep 16, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) is out at second base as St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) turns a double play in the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

"Brendan Donovan turned in an All-Star campaign, though a groin injury plagued him for a month in the second half," Woo said. "Iván Herrera can flat-out hit, as evidenced by his team-high .817 OPS. Victor Scott II continues to show the raw ability to excel in center field, but needs more experience to reach his full potential. An oft-injured Lars Nootbaar has played in the most games (127) of his five-year career...

"Donovan is a winning player, according to multiple coaches and evaluators, but his trade value has never been higher. He’ll be a free agent after the 2028 season. There is no telling how long the Cardinals expect to rebuild, so if Donovan’s remaining arbitration years don’t match up with that timeline, should St. Louis sell high and move him?"

Donovan arguably is the guy to watch this offseason. For St. Louis, he brings Gold Glove-caliber defense all over the field and his bat took a step in the right direction this year. Donovan was an All-Star and was talked about a leader in the clubhouse all year.

For Donovan, he could bring back a massive haul for St. Louis. But, even with a rebuild, you do need veterans around as well to help the young guys get through. There's a real argument that Donovan should be that guy. But, as Woo noted, his trade value is very high. Should the Cardinals consider moving him?

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