Brendan Donovan is currently one of the most sought-after players on the trade market, with reports indicating that more than half of the league’s teams may try to acquire the All-Star second baseman from the St. Louis Cardinals this summer.
With so many suitors, missing one or two teams is unlikely to have a significant impact on Chaim Bloom’s trade talks. However, when one of those suitors is one of the league’s most aggressive clubs, it can reduce the selling team’s leverage.
Unfortunately, it appears that Donovan’s market has recently taken a significant hit. Following their finest finish in franchise history, the Seattle Mariners have re-signed standout first baseman Josh Naylor to a five-year contract.
Mariners likely out of Brendan Donovan market, though Cardinals won’t be lacking for trade options
The Mariners are still very much in the mix for second base help after the expected departure of Silver Slugger finalist Jorge Polanco. And with Jerry Dipoto running the show, you can never rule Seattle out of any trade hunt.
But if Josh Naylor’s contract ends up pushing close to the twenty million dollar per year range many expect, Seattle will be brushing up against its franchise record payroll of one hundred sixty six million from 2025. Brendan Donovan’s projected five point four million salary would not be a major strain, but the real question is whether the Mariners want to part with young, cost controlled talent to make it happen. Long term, the math may not be in their favor.
If Seattle decides it is ready to hand the job to former top prospect Cole Young, they could roll with his pre arbitration salary at second base and focus their resources on improving other areas of the roster.
Whether the Mariners stay in the running or step away, the Cardinals are not going to have any trouble attracting suitors. Donovan delivered a strong one hundred nineteen wRC plus and earned his first All Star nod while hitting two eighty seven with a three fifty three on base and four twenty two slugging line.
He is a do it all defender who took home the National League utility Gold Glove in 2022, and he has shown he can push his offensive ceiling even higher, like his one hundred twenty five wRC plus first half in 2025.
Clubs such as the Guardians and Royals, both starving for real offensive firepower, are likely to be even more aggressive than Seattle in chasing a table setter like Donovan. With two years of team control left through arbitration, Donovan is positioned to net St. Louis a strong return no matter how heavily Dipoto decides to pursue him.