5 Brendan Donovan trade packages that Cardinals fans would actually accept

The St. Louis Cardinals have a good one in Brendan Donovan, and if they are going to cash in on his trade value this offseason, it better be for a package worthwhile.

With most teams in baseball seeming to have some level of interest in trading for Donovan, the Cardinals should be in a position of strength when it comes to negotiations. Yes, it seems like they believe trading Donovan would be best for their rebuild (even though I would personally rather keep him), but they still have two years of control. If teams don't make aggressive offers, it would be foolish to let him go.

The Cardinals have been clear in their desire to acquire cost-controlled pitching for Donovan, ideally someone with upside that can help them compete for years to come. But there are early names that people have begun to speculate that I just do not understand why that would make sense for the Cardinals to consider.

For example, the names thrown around from the Kansas City Royals thus far would be dissapointing headliners for a Donovan package. RHP Kris Bubic had a great year in 2025, but he is a free agent after the 2026 season. Noah Cameron posted a sub-3.00 ERA in his rookie campaign, but I don't see him as a player who could ever be more than a #3 starter in his best years. There are other names, but do they really make you want to trade Donovan?

If I'm Chaim Bloom, and honestly, what I truly believe he and the front office will do, is I would set the bar high for what it will take to acquire Donovan, and allow teams to bid against one another to get his services. The Cardinals hold a valuable asset, have many reasons to hold onto him, and 20+ teams who would love to take Donovan off of their hands. That screams to me a seller's market in this scenario, not a moment where the Cardinals need to settle for whatever is offered.

I've drawn up five trades that I think Cardinals fans would actually be excited about if the club pulled one of them off. Now, normally, I don't like providing specific trade package ideas, because this is truly a guessing game. What I am trying to do is put into context the kinds of arms I think St. Louis would be interested in and would be a significant return from Donovan, and I tried to find teams that actually fit that bill as a trade partner.

If you disagree on the valuation of these deals, no big deal, but the main point of this is to try and give a rough framework for what the Cardinals should be hoping for in a Donovan deal.

Here are 5 Brendan Donovan trade packages that Cardinals fans would actually accept