Will the Brendan Donovan trade saga linger until Spring Training?
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It's been no secret that the Seattle Mariners have been seeking a trade for the St. Louis Cardinals' second baseman Brendan Donovan. In fact, it's been written about and talked to death so much that most fans in the Emerald City are like accident victims in recovery; they just want some closure.
Unfortunately, that reprieve may not come soon for everyone agonizing over the upcoming lineup. The rebuilding Redbirds seem intent on getting as much value as possible out of the sweet-swinging lefthanded batter. They've already moved on from veterans Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, and Nolan Arenado, all of whom were traded for prospects. Because of their shrewd moves, St. Louis is currently considered by some to have the strongest farm system of all the teams in MLB.
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Right now, the Mariners have lost their starting second sacker from last year's AL West title team, as Jorge Polanco departed for the New York Mets via free agency. Meanwhile, third base is open as Eugenio Suarez is still on the market, and it's a crap shoot on if he will return to Seattle in 2026.
Donovan would be a table-setter for Seattle
One of the reasons the M's have stayed ferevntly involved in the Donovan talks is because he would balance out the team's lineup almost perfectly heading inton the new season. While he can hit almost anywhere in the lineup, he's almost tailor-made to bat in the second spot for Seattle. That would help set the table for the powerful trio of Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, and Josh Naylor.
A lifetime .282 hitter, Donovan can play multiple positions, but is best suited for the keystone. He won a Gold Glove at the utility position as a rookie in 2022 and is still more than capable in the field. Unfortunately, the Mariners and GM Josh Hollander still haven't mixed up a suitable soup for St. Louis... in a saga that now looks to stretch out until Spring.
