Red Sox Urged To Make Surprise Splash For Cardinals' Brendan Donovan

The Boston Red Sox have the means to get any type of deal done this offseason that they see fit.

Financially, the Red Sox should be able to get any sort of deal done after trading Rafael Devers away. Boston has players at the big league level that could be used in trade talks -- especially in the outfield -- and also plenty of prospects. With the Red Sox's window to contention opening up, they shouldn't leave any stone unturned this offseason.

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The Red Sox are a big-market team with plenty of resources, so unsurprisingly any player who could be available typically ends up being linked to the organization. MassLive.com's Sean McAdam added a very intriguing name to the list on Sunday and threw out the idea of acquiring Brendan Donovan from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Should the Red Sox go after Brendan Donovan?

"Just a thought: The St. Louis Cardinals are open to trading infielder Brendan Donovan," McAdam wrote. "He can play either second or third pretty well, and though he hits left-handed, which is sub-optimal, he’d make some sense for the Red Sox, whose entire infield, save for shortstop, remains undefined.

"The most appealing part of Donovan’s game for a team looking to make more contact? He puts the ball in play, with a career strikeout rate of just 13.51 percent and a .361 OBP."

This is a very interesting idea from the Red Sox insider. Donovan is just 28 years old and won't be a free agent until 2028. Offensively, he would give the Red Sox another dependable bat near the top of the order. In 2025, he slashed .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs, 50 RBIs, 32 doubles, and 64 runs scored in 118 games played.

He's an interesting fit beyond the offensive numbers. What makes him stand out is his ability to play all over the field. In 2025, Donovan was an All-Star primarily at second base but also played shortstop, left field, and designated hitter. Throughout his career to this point, he has seen action at first base, second base, shortstop, third base, left field, and right field.

On first look, a left-handed bat who primarily plays in the infield doesn't sound like a fit. But, depending on who the Red Sox cut ties with this winter, Donovan is a Swiss Army knife who realistically could help a team at pretty much every position.

If Alex Bregman leaves, he's a good fit at third base. Or, he could play second base with Marcelo Mayer at third base. If the Red Sox significantly deplete their stockpile of outfielders, he could be a fit out there as well. All in all, this is a guy who can play elite defense all over the field and improve the offense. A good idea depending on who Boston loses throughout the offseason.

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