3 more trades Chaim Bloom could easily pull off with Red Sox in 2026 and beyond

Brendan Donovan is now rumored to be a target of the Red Sox

Yup, you read that right. Even prior to the Willson Contreras trade on Sunday, there were rumblings that the Boston Red Sox could be a suitor for Brendan Donovan, but now Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is pouring even more gas on that idea.

Rosenthal reported on Monday that, according to those familiar with the Cardinals and Red Sox's conversations, the two sides have also talked about a potential Donovan trade as well. Boston is aggressive this offseason in their pursuit of putting itself in the conversation for a World Series, and upgrading their lineup is a big part of that. They seem to be major players for Ketel Marte as well, but with the price to acquire him being sky-high, Boston could end up deciding that Donovan is their guy.

Now, Donovan won't come cheap either, but his on-base skills, cost control, and defensive versatility would make him a major asset for the Red Sox. Rosenthal reported that Donovan would likely play second base for Boston if they traded for him, but we all know that Donovan could slot in at a number of positions during the season as needed.

Marcelo Mayer is still a very young player, and Trevor Story has been injury-prone over the years, so having Donovan as insurance makes a ton of sense. Donovan would also upgrade their lineup further and allow the Red Sox to aggressively shop a left-handed bat like Jarren Duran, Tristan Casas, or even Mayer to go out and get even more high-end pitching or a different bat for their lineup.

Personally, I would bet on a different team acquiring Donovan, like the Seattle Mariners or Cleveland Guardians (or even the Red Sox's arch-rival, the New York Yankees), but Boston should be a real player. And considering the high-end pitching prospects they have like Payton Tolle and Kyson Witherspoon, I would not be shocked to see St. Louis send Donovan to Boston at some point this offseason.