5 Brendan Donovan trade packages that Cardinals fans would actually accept

Cleveland Guardians

While it seems like there are more teams interested in Donovan than those who are not, one of the clubs that we've heard linked to him thus far is the Cleveland Guardians, and they really do match up well as a destination if the Cardinals do deal Donovan.

Rob Cerfolio, the Cardinals' assistant general manager of player development and performance, and Larry Day, the Cardinals' director of player development, were both hired by the Cardinals' last offseason from the Guardians organization. Given their long history with the organization, their valuations of the Guardians' pitching have to be valued highly.

Cleveland has a long track record of producing very good big league pitching, and there are some interesting arms at both the big league level and in the minor league levels that I would be interested in targeting if I were the Cardinals.

Parker Messick is far from my favorite arm that I'll discuss today, but he had a really nice first taste of big league action for the Guardians, and I think the left-hander has traits the Cardinals would value. Beyond the fact that he isn't eligible for arbitration until 2029 or free agency until 2032, Messick posted a 2.72 ERA and 2.98 FIP in his seven big league starts, striking out 23% of the batters he faced while walking just 3.6% of them.

Messick produced a good amount of swing and miss for a rookie, barely walked hitters, and had a 72.1% first-pitch strike rate. He is very quick in his delivery and rhythm on the mound, truly making hitters feel like he is on the attack at all times. The lefty has a good amount of upside and a ton of team control, something the Cardinals really need to nail in a Donovan trade.

The second piece of this trade package is further away from the Major Leagues but boasts even higher potential at a young age. Braylon Doughty, who was drafted out of high school by the Guardians with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, is a good athlete with a fluid delivery and boasts an above-average fastball with a near plus-plus curveball and plus slider. His fastball has been up to 96-97 MPH before, and if he finds a way to sit in the mid-90s, his arsenal could play up as a mid-rotation starter or even better.

Doughty doesn't turn 20 until December, but he was arguably the Guardians' most impressive pitching prospect in their system this year, posting a 3.48 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 85.1 innings for their Low-A affiliate. That may make him a tough name to grab from their system, but like I said, this deal better hurt for whoever wants to acquire Donovan.