Cardinals All-Star Emerging As St. Louis' Next Trade Candidate

Will the Cardinals trade the All-Star away this winter?

Mar 20, 2018; Jupiter, FL, USA; A St. Louis Cardinals hat with sunglasses sits on a glove in the dugout during a spring training game against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have 46 games left in the John Mozeliak era as the team's president of baseball operations.

When the season comes to a close, Chaim Bloom will take over and it's too early to know what the club will do. The Cardinals shipped Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz, and Phil Maton out of town ahead of the 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline. It was reported that Bloom had some input ahead of the trade deadline. Soon enough, Bloom will have full control over this roster into the future.

The Cardinals last made the playoffs in 2022 where they were knocked out by the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Wild Card round. At that point, the Cardinals had made it to the postseason in four straight seasons. But, since then, things have changed. The Cardinals had one of the worst teams for the organization in recent memory in 2023. In 2024, the Cardinals were back above .500, but missed the playoffs. Right now, the Cardinals are a .500 team with low odds of earning a spot.

When Bloom fully takes over, his job will be to get this roster into the future. Could that include trading away a breakout star?

Cardinals roster could look completely different by the time the 2026 season gets here

Jul 27, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom talks with the media before a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

It's going to be interesting to see how everything plays out. St. Louis has pieces that could be of interest to opposing teams. CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson wrote up a column highlighting 10 trade candidates for this upcoming offseason and unsurprisingly, Cardinals All-Star Brendan Donovan popped up on the list.

"No. 7. Brendan Donovan, 2B, St. Louis Cardinals," Anderson said. "It's to be determined what Chaim Bloom will do with this Cardinals roster his first offseason in charge, but Donovan makes a lot of sense as a trade candidate. Most importantly: he's nearing both his 29th birthday and his free agency date (after the 2027 campaign), and the Cardinals happen to have some internal candidates in line to replace him (including top prospect JJ Wetherholt). Donovan would no doubt appeal to contenders seeking a versatile left-handed hitter who is on pace for his third consecutive season with an OPS+ of either 113 and 114."

Donovan was speculated as a trade candidate this summer, but the Cardinals opted against trading players under team control beyond this season. Will that still be the case this upcoming winter?

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