The second base trade market is pretty strong.
Brandon Lowe was already dealt, and Ketel Marte is still out there, too. For the St. Louis Cardinals, they'll be hoping that a suitor remains for Brendan Donovan.
He's been viewed as a trade candidate since the season ended, and that apparently hasn't changed, but there has been no deal yet.
In a new article on Wednesday, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon provided a nuanced update on Donovan.
"Why have the Cardinals not yet traded Donovan, the player who can bring them the most in a deal?" They wrote. "It comes down to a difference in perceived value. The Cardinals view Donovan as a star player while not all clubs see him that way, according to people briefed on the conversations."
It doesn't help that Donovan isn't the only second baseman out there to be acquired.
"Donovan, who turns 29 this month, offers many appealing qualities, from his swing decisions to his bat-to-ball skills, his defensive versatility to his makeup," The Athletic writes. "But his career-best fWAR, achieved in 2024, was 3.2. (Nico) Hoerner was at 4.8 last season, Marte at 4.6 – the latter in only 126 games."
MORE: Mets tickets available for $1,247,553 apiece
Rosenthal and Sammon conclude their update by mentioning that the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners could both be involved in the pursuit.
"Donovan also is under club control for only two more seasons, the second of which is threatened by a lockout," they write. "The Kansas City Royals remain among the teams interested, but if the Cardinals prefer premium young bats, the Seattle Mariners are perhaps the best fit."
The Cardinals also haven't moved on from Nolan Arenado yet, another move that is expected to happen before the new season arrives.
There's still plenty of business to get done in St. Louis.
More MLB news:
- Team USA's projected WBC lineup is incredible
- Dominican Republic's projected WBC lineup is fierce
- Reds have a promising prospect named Ichiro Cano
- It's a good day to remember Bob Feller's brilliance and his time in the U.S. Navy
- How Aroldis Chapman is able to pitch for Great Britain in the WBC
- Bo Bichette offered free steak for life to sign with Blue Jays