Royals Facing Major Challenge In Pursuit Of Brendan Donovan, Per Insider

A trade seems unlikely to happen.

Sep 12, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second base Brendan Donovan (33) gets a base hit against the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals had a very productive weekend fresh off the Winter Meetings. They signed veteran outfielder Lane Thomas to a one-year contract on Thursday and traded for Isaac Collins two days later.

However, according to Ken Rosenthal, they aren’t done just yet. They are still looking to add one more bat to their mix to boost their offense.

Among the potential targets are Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran and St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan. However, Rosenthal notes that there is one major factor that is holding up a potential trade for Donovan, and it has nothing to do with the fact that the San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners are the front runners for him.

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The Major Factor Holding Up A Brendan Donovan Trade

Sep 19, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) celebrate with first base coach Packy Elkins (86)after hitting a single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

“The path for those teams to Donovan is cleaner than it is for the Royals. To make a deal happen, the Royals probably would need to orchestrate a three-way swap, trading left-hander Kris Bubic for prospects they could redirect to the Cardinals. Bubic, projected to earn $6 million in arbitration before becoming a free agent, is of little interest to St. Louis, a rebuilding club,” Rosenthal wrote.

If the Royals truly want Donovan, they could ultimately trade some younger pitchers to St. Louis such as Noah Cameron or Ryan Bergert. The Cardinals have shown interest in Cameron.

But Bubic is in the final year of his contract, which is most likely what is turning the Cardinals off as a suitor. They need young and controllable pitching, and they can still add that in a Donovan trade.

But the Royals don’t seem to be able to convince them to take Bubic off their hands, so that may ultimately be the deciding factor in any potential deal.

If the Royals want Donovan, then they’re going to need to trade a younger arm or two to St. Louis that helps the Cardinals with their rebuild. If they can do that, then Donovan could provide a major boost to the offense and give them a completely different look.

That would potentially put them back in the hunt for at least a Wild Card spot in 2026. We’ll see what general manager J.J. Picollo has planned over the next few weeks.

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