Royals GM's Comments Hint At Trade Push For Cardinals All-Star

What is J.J. Picollo plotting?

Jul 27, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of St. Louis Cardinals cap and glove in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals are primed to make a trade this winter.

Much like last year, when the Royals acquired Jonathan India for Brady Singer, Kansas City has a surplus of starting pitchers and a shortage of offense, particularly in the outfield. The fact that the India trade didn't pay off in year one likely won't stop them from pursuing a similar path.

It's early, and there's no way to know for certain whether any player in particular will be moved this winter. But a prime target seems to be emerging, and he already plays in the Royals' state.

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Royals' interest in Brendan Donovan corroborated by J.J. Picollo's statement

Jun 3, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) slides head first in to second base for a double against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman/outfielder Brendan Donovan has been a rumored target for the Royals all week, and on Thursday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch confirmed that Kansas City has been one of the teams to check in on the All-Star since the offseason began.

Moreover, while he wouldn't reference a particular player, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said earlier this week that the Royals are looking for a player who sounds an awful lot like Donovan.

“Right now we don’t have somebody who can play infield and right field, and that’s something we’ve got to look at,” Picollo said, per Goold. “If we had somebody who could go from the infield to the outfield that’s very beneficial.”

To be fair, Donovan only has 30 career appearances in right field, including zero this past season. But that's a position the Cardinals have been constantly rotating other players through, and there's no reason to believe Donovan can't handle it on a more consistent basis.

Though he was an All-Star this past season, the Royals would be perfectly happy if Donovan gave the Royals production like his typical career averages -- 117 OPS+, and 3.7 WAR per 162 games. The key, if anything, would be to stay healthy.

As Goold's initial report showed, as well, there are other teams bound to be interested, so even if the Royals match up perfectly with the Cardinals based on need, they'll have to make a generous offer for two years of control.

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