The Mariners' trade for Brendan Donovan receives high marks in ESPN analysis

Earlier this week, ESPN released its report card on the best and worst moves of the offseason, and they gave the Donovan deal an A-, one of the better grades received overall

May 16, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) hits a double during the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Earlier this week, ESPN released its report card on the best and worst moves of the offseason, and the Seattle Mariners' biggest trade of the winter was awarded an A-, one of the better grades received overall. The Feb 2 deal with the St. Louis Cardinals for multi-talented infielder Brendan Donovan was a reward that far outweighed the risk, as the Worldwide Leader in Sports explained in its assessment.

"The Donovan-to-the-Mariners rumors have been out there since before Christmas, and acquiring the 2025 All-Star with a .361 career OBP makes a ton of sense," the report stated. "...The Mariners -- with World Series aspirations -- were set to open with unproven players at both second and third base in Cole Young and Colt Emerson or Williamson. Donovan can play either position, gives the Mariners an excellent leadoff hitter against right-handed pitchers (he hit .315/.383/.471 against them in 2025) and fits into the budget with a $5.8 million salary for 2025 plus another year of team control."

The ESPN post also mentioned how it takes the pressure off 20-year-old Cole Emerson, the club's highly-publicized top prospect. At one point, he was seen as a possible starter; he could now easily go back to Triple-A to work on his development if he falters in Spring Training.

"The Mariners should love the overall versatility and depth of this lineup now, with multiple good alternate options available if someone isn't hitting or if there's an injury... It allows Seattle to play it conservatively with Emerson, given that he's just 20 years old and has only 40 games above Single-A."

Mariners' move was better late, than never

Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) collects a ball hit by the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Donovan, a lifetime .282 hitter with a .361 career on-base percentage, is a top-of-the-order batsman who fits the Mariners like a glove. Expect him to be the table-setter for the big bats of Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, and Josh Naylor. That combination could lead to boatloads more runs scored in 2026.

And while the deal took weeks to materialize, Mariners fans are just relieved to finally have their guy. And overall, their patience will likely be paid off, at least according to the ESPN report card.

"There isn't much downside here for the Mariners. They gave up a good pitching prospect in Cijntje, but still have two higher-rated ones in Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan. Williamson is a good glove at third base, but Ke'Bryan Hayes at the plate."

"The one negative is Donovan didn't hit lefties last year and hasn't been that good against them throughout his career, but that's a minor inconvenience. The Mariners just got better."

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