At the MLB trade deadline, the St. Louis Cardinals sold a trio of veteran relievers in Steven Matz, Phil Maton, and Ryan Helsley. They were all set to be free agents at the end of the year, making their trades easier to make for St. Louis.
But the team also received interest in some of their controllable players. Lars Nootbaar and Alec Burleson were two names brought up in trade rumors, but both stayed in St. Louis, and Burleson looks to have a roster spot secured for 2026 as well.
However, a third player was mentioned in trade talks, and could be someone to watch this offseason. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Brendan Donovan is a name to watch this winter as a potential trade target.
Cardinals' Gold Glove All-Star dubbed 'prime trade candidate'
"Infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan was the Cardinals' lone All-Star this season," Rosenthal writes, "But with only two years of club control remaining, he looms as a prime trade candidate."
St. Louis is going under new leadership in the front office, as John Mozeliak is stepping down and Chaim Bloom is taking over. Bloom has had success with the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays before, so his new role is an exciting one.
But it's likely to come with some big changes, and a potential Brendan Donovan trade would be a big one. While trading a player as good as Donovan would sting, the Cardinals could get a strong return in the offseason for him.
With the team looking to rebuild over the next few years, and with Donovan under control for the next two years, the Cardinals might have passed his window by the time they're competitive again.
Instead of keeping him and signing him to a big deal, the Cardinals could move on from him to bolster their prospect depth or add another controllable option for their roster.
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Trading Donovan would likely net a strong return, and the Cardinals could also open the pathway for some of their exciting prospects to have easier promotions. JJ Wetherholt has been dominant in the minors and will likely be up with the team in 2026.
This season, Donovan was the Cardinals' All-Star representative and has a .283 batting average with 124 hits and 10 home runs to go with a .760 OPS. His OPS+ is at 114, which is the same number as the three previous seasons for Donovan.
He's an above-average hitter with great defense who has positional versatility. A player like him will have plenty of suitors on the trade market, and Bloom could kick off a rebuild by shipping Donovan out for a solid return.
Of the Cardinals' veterans who could be moved, Donovan is a prime trade candidate thanks to multiple factors. He's cheap, as he's in the middle of arbitration, and is also 28 years old with two years of control after 2025.
Plenty of contenders will have interest, and of the realistic trade candidates on the Cardinals, Donovan is the one most likely to bring home the best return.
Rosenthal reports that Donovan is a prime trade candidate, and with the team set to enter a reset year in 2026, keeping Donovan doesn't make a lot of sense. Moving on from Donovan would sting, but in the long term, it's the best move for the Cardinals to make.
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