5 Cardinals worthy of an extension into the club's next competitive window

INF/OF Brendan Donovan

This extension might be the most disputed on this list. Brendan Donovan is receiving legitimate interest in the trade market, and he has the potential to bring back a legitimate starting pitching prospect, one the Cardinals haven't had since Carlos Martinez or Jack Flaherty.

Chaim Bloom is trying to milk whatever he can out of Donovan on the trade market, and that's very prudent. He's a controllable Gold Glove winner who can play multiple positions well and be a plus hitter. That's a combination that's rare in the game. If Bloom can get multiple top prospects in baseball for Brendan Donovan, he should do that.

However, if the market doesn't measure up to Bloom's desires, an extension for Brendan Donovan should be considered by the organization.

For the same reason that he's valuable to other teams, Brendan Donovan would be immensely valuable to the Cardinals themselves. He has a career OPS of .772 and OPS+ of 117. He's a Utility Gold Glove winner, and he was the club's lone All-Star last year. Donovan is also a leader in the clubhouse, something that will be hard to replace if he is indeed traded this winter.

Donovan is a consistent three-to-four WAR player, something that doesn't grow on trees. While he's not a superstar, he's still quite valuable for the Cardinals both now and in the future.

A five-year deal for the almost-29-year-old utility player feels realistic. This would allow the Cardinals to keep Donovan while he's at his peak and the end of his peak years. It would also give them a strong clubhouse voice to provide leadership for the next generation of players like Masyn Winn, JJ Wetherholt, and Liam Doyle.

Trading Brendan Donovan is still likely to happen and probably the preferred route for the organization this winter. However, if they can't line up a fair deal, extending him beyond 2027 would be a solid decision for Chaim Bloom and the front office. It would keep a fan favorite in the city during this rebuild, and his clubhouse presence will be strong given the shipping out of veterans lately.