Cleveland Guardians and St. Louis Cardinals have had trade discussions

After the Cleveland Guardians remained quiet at the MLB Winter Meetings, trade rumors have started to swirl again.

On Monday, Dec. 15, a St. Louis Cardinals insider on the platform X released information that the Guardians and Cardinals have been in active trade discussions. According to the reports, it's uncertain whether or not the two sides are discussing a move involving utility man Brendan Donovan.

Donovan's been a constant target for various teams across MLB, including the Guardians, Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants. The All-Star utility man has been one of the most interesting potential additions to a team, mainly due to his knack for getting on base, keeping a keen eye, and ability to play the infield, outfield or serve as a designated hitter.

"The Cardinals and Guardians talks have picked up recently - and it seems to coincide with when the teams and names leaked with Seattle and San Francisco," the insider's report said.

The Cardinals and Guardians talks have picked up recently - and it seems to coincide with when the teams and names leaked with Seattle and San Francisco.

I'm not sure if the thinking is if that's what it takes maybe we could see and they're calling on Donovan again (they were…
— MLB Live (@MLBaseball_Live) December 15, 2025

"I'm not sure if the thinking is if that's what it takes, maybe we could see and they're calling on Donovan again (they were one of the initial teams to have interest) or if they're calling on someone else - as the Cardinals have multiple players who could fit their needs," the Cardinals insider said.

Earlier this offseason, the Cardinals ended up moving on from starting pitcher Sonny Gray in a trade with the Boston Red Sox, making it not that unlikely that they continue to clean house. The front office is obviously attempting to build for the future, and moving on from Donovan would net them some major prospects in the process.

According to reports from The Athletic, the Cardinals have been "looking to land multiple top prospects in a return."

Cleveland's minor league system is riddled with talent, especially in areas that the Cardinals need, including pitchers. The Guardians would be able to offer plenty of pitching prospects, including starting pitchers Parker Messick and Joey Cantillo, who aren't necessarily reliable yet, but have high ceilings.

To bring in a player of Donovan's caliber, the Guardians would more than likely be willing to give up just about anyone in the minor league system not named Travis Bazzana.

Donovan's coming off an impressive 2025 season that saw him finish with a bWAR of 2.7 and a slashing line of .282/.361/.411 for an OPS of .772. He's got a knack for getting on base and providing power, capping off his year with 32 doubles and 10 home runs for 50 RBIs. He also drew 42 walks and struck out just 67 times.

Outside of Donovan, the Guardians have been rolling around in rumors relating to Arizona Diamondbacks veteran Ketel Marte, who's one of the best infielders in baseball. At the age of 32, he'd provide a nice balance of experience and consistent batting to the Guardians.

With other teams around the league, most notably the Los Angeles Dodgers, continuing to grow their rosters this offseason, the Guardians have some work to do.

Whether it's Marte or Donovan, Cleveland fans just want to see the front office make a few moves to show that they are serious about winning in 2025.