MLB Announcer calls Mariners' Brendan Donovan a 'humongous, tremendous' addition
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By now, the votes are in, and it's official: Acquiring Brendan Donovan already looks like one of the best moves in Seattle Mariners' franchise history. Not only was he the best option this offseason, but his mental approach and the example he sets for the squad's many young players will pay dividends in 2026... and far beyond.
Donovan, 29, was acquired in a three-team trade on Groundhog Day, but he certainly didn't see any shadows when he arrived at Seattle camp earlier this month. He has fully embraced the club, the coaches and (soon) will be a big part of the community. Well-known for being a 'team-first' guy, he fits the mentality. That was something pointed out in a recent discussion on Seattle Sports' Wyman & Bob with former Mariners pitcher and current ESPN AM 710 broadcaster Charlie Furbish.
“It’s been a joy to watch Donovan come into camp,” Furbush commented on his first impressions of the new infielder.. “As somebody who’s been traded to a new team when I showed up to the Mariners for the first time, it can be a little nerve-wracking. Who’s who? You’re doing a bunch of introductions, you don’t know where to go, where things are."
"But what you continue to see out of Donovan is that he is actually putting in the work to get to know his teammates. And that is a humongous, tremendous add inside that clubhouse.”
"A humongous, tremendous add inside that clubhouse."
— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) March 3, 2026
How #Mariners 3B Brendan Donovan is prioritizing getting to know his new team in spring training really stands out to @charliefurbush.https://t.co/itLXpYuDk7
So far, Donovan seems destined to be the starter at third base, at least at the beginning of the season. He's already been anointed the team's lead-off man, and with a career on-base percentage of .361, is expected to score a lot of runs batting ahead of hitters like Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, and Josh Naylor.
Brendan Donovan garners respect with his approach
The combination of Donovan's battin average, penchant to get on base, and defensive prowess and versatility were already the kinds of intangibles that Seattle was looking for when they went shopping for a table setter. Donovan fills the bill in a number of ways, but perhaps more importantly, by his prfessionalism, friendly approach, and loyalty to teammates. In essence, the M's didn't just acquire a player when they made that trade with St. Louis Cardinals on Groundhog Day. They got themselves a leader, too a leader.
“Inside that locker room, guys leave it all out on the line and we all care so much, we want to win,” Furbush said, “but sometimes you’ve gotta pull a layer back and get to know the human a little bit more, and build trust with somebody so that you can rely on these teammates of yours when you’re struggling or what have you."
"The minute I got traded [here], I felt like I was given a big hug."
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 25, 2026
Brendan Donovan talks about joining the @Mariners and where he fits in their stacked lineup.
📺 30 Clubs, 30 Camps pic.twitter.com/JeMpHf1FQc
"So he’s done such a good job to become a great teammate, and I think that is one of the things that is so important for all athletes to make sure that they do, is make sure you’re a good teammate, make sure you do the right things, and this stuff will echo throughout the clubhouse, and people will see this.
“He’s excited to be here,” Furbush added. “He mentioned how he thought he was going to come here, maybe the deal took a little bit longer (than expected), but he’s certainly been excited, and certainly excited to watch from our side of things. And I don’t think that any Mariners fans are going to be upset with this type of player that we’ve got on this roster.”
[Interview transcription credit: Brent Stecker, Seattle Sports]
Ryan K Boman is a freelance writer and the author of the 2023 book, Pop Music & Peanut Butter: A Collection of Essays Looking at Life with Love & Laughter. His previous work has appeared at MSN, Heavy, the Miami Herald, Screen Rant, FanSided, and Yardbarker. Follow him on X @RyanKBoman