Royals Playing Chess With Cardinals In Pursuit Of All-Star
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The Kansas City Royals have had a productive offseason thus far, adding Lane Thomas, Isaac Collins and Nick Mears via free agency and trades. But they aren’t done just yet. They’re still looking for one more bat.
The team still has interest in St. Louis Cardinals All-Star Brendan Donovan, but St. Louis has set a high asking price and will only trade him if they get an offer they can’t refuse.
The Royals have a lot of young pitching in their system that St. Louis might want. John Denton of MLB.com provided the latest on the Royals’ pursuit of Donovan and where things stand.
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Can Royals Pony Up For Donovan?
“For now, teams are waiting to see if the price drops as squads get closer to Spring Training. Who blinks first: The rebuilding Cards or Donovan-seeking teams such as the Mariners, Giants, Royals and Astros?” Denton wrote.
Donovan hit .287 with 10 home runs and a .775 OPS during the regular season last year. He was the lone All-Star on the Cardinals’ roster.
So, it’s understandable why St. Louis would set a high asking price. But the question is whether or not teams will be willing to pay that price to land him. The Royals need one more bat, and Donovan would check a lot of boxes for them.
The 28-year-old could be an upgrade at second base over Jonathan India, or he could potentially play the outfield, as he is able to play almost any position on the field.
He won the utility Gold Glove in 2022, his rookie season, so there is a lot of upside. But the Royals, much like other teams showing interest, are playing chess with the Cardinals.
If the price goes down, then the Royals could easily make a play for him, but if not, then the Cardinals may ultimately pull him off the trade market and keep him around until at least the trade deadline.
It should be interesting to see where things stand in the next few weeks, but something is going to have to give. Either the Cardinals will have to lower their asking price, or the Royals will have to meet the Cardinals’ demands in a potential deal for Donovan.
The Royals do have the pieces to get a deal done.
Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.
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