For most of the first half of 2025, rival executives quietly floated the possibility of the New York Yankees making a run at Brendan Donovan. It made sense. His versatility, left-handed bat, and on-base skill set check almost every need on their roster. What the Yankees lacked was a clean way to make it happen, and they settled for Ryan McMahon at the trade deadline to clean up their third base mess.
Now, two former MLB general managers may have finally mapped it out.
On their Sunday morning SiriusXM MLB Network show, Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette said they both like the fit. Bowden said that new St. Louis Cardinals head Chaim Bloom has made it clear he is looking to trade for young, talented, controllable pitching. While Bloom would likely ask for Cam Schlittler, the Yankees won't deal him. Bowden suggested the deal could probably get done around Will Warren.
Donovan, 28, remains one of baseball’s most valuable multi-position players, offering strong contact ability, steady defense and multiple years of club control. For a Yankees lineup that struggled with balance and depth, his profile stands out.
Warren would be a meaningful price, but also a realistic one.
The 26-year-old spent 2025 in the Yankees’ rotation and finished with a 4.44 ERA, 9–8 record and 171 strikeouts across 162.1 innings. His fastball-slider mix still gives him mid-rotation upside, which is the type of cost St. Louis typically seeks in these conversations.
The Yankees, however, are starting their season with Gerrit Cole (Tommy John), Carlos Rodon (elbow surgery) and Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John) on the injured list. So, how can they afford to deal away a starter from that rotation?
Bowden had an answer. He suggested the Yankees re-sign Michael King and use Warren as the outgoing piece in the Donovan deal. King, who opted out of his deal with San Diego, posted a 3.44 ERA in 2025 despite shoulder issues and is expected to draw multi-year interest. Bringing him back would stabilize the rotation and free the Yankees to move Warren without thinning their pitching depth.
There’s also the McMahon wrinkle. Both Bowden and Duquette said Donovan is the better all-around player. In their view, New York could shift McMahon into a bench role or flip him if it meant adding Donovan’s versatility and left-handed bat.
For a team trying to upgrade its lineup without emptying its system, this could be the answer
