Is the Cardinals' Brendan Donovan now a 'must-have' for the Mariners?
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Jorge Polanco is gone, Eugenio Suarez is likely next, and they're searching for solutions in Seattle.
The Mariners (90-72, 1st in AL West in 2025) look to make a return to the postseason in the upcoming season, but they are on the verge of losing half their infield from a year ago if Suarez signs elsewhere - which appears to be a strong possibility now. Meanwhile, the team has spent weeks trying to swing a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals for multi-talented infielder Brendan Donovan.
Donovan, 28, will be entering his fifth season in Major League Baseball in 2026, and he's a lifetime .282. hitter. A sweet-swinger from the left side of the plate, he batted .287, with 10 home runs, and 50 runs batted in. And while ideally, he would play second base for the M's, he can also man first, third, and leftfield if needed. He doesn't have the same power as Polanco, but he's more consistent.
The biggest hang-up lately has been that the Cards covet one of the Mariners' Major League starters as part of the swap with Seattle. But the Mariners have made it clear that they aren't willing to go that route. Instead, they would rather send over a package of prospects.
Donovan is an efficient, offensive addition to any lineup
"Versatile veteran Brendan Donovan remains a strong candidate to be moved before the start of the regular season, and the Mariners are a logical landing spot with a clear need at second base," Newsweek stated, with quotes from MLB writer Joel Reuter. "If no outside moves are made, Cole Young (second base) and Ben Williamson (third base) are the leading candidates to round out the infield."
CLICK FOR MORE: Have the Seattle Mariners been too patient this off-season?
"That makes super-utility guys like Luis Rengifo and Willi Castro potential targets as well, even if Donovan is added to be the primary second baseman."
Obviously, there's still time for general manager Justin Hollander and team president Jerry Dipoto to finally pull the trigger on this transaction, but something's got to give. The two clubs still have a few weeks before Spring Training begins. And it only takes one day to get this deal done. For the Mariners' sake, they can only hope all goes as planned, because their blueprint for this offseason has suddenly gotten sketchy.
