5 players most affected by the Cardinals' lack of activity

1. Brendan Donovan

Donovan has found himself in MLB news and rumors probably more often than he expected this offseason. Heading into the offseason, the expected trade of Arenado and the team's front office announcement that Nolan Gorman would be getting 500 at-bats, it was assumed that Donovan would fill in as the Cardinals' everyday second baseman going into Opening Day. While fans and players clamored for an extension for the 28-year-old before the arbitration process, there were confusing and conflicting reports about the team's interest.

Unfortunately for the super utility player, the lack of suitors for Arenado has made Donovan's 2025 tougher to define. The lefty hitter has played 168 of his 377 games in the outfield while filling in the rest of his appearances at every infield spot and has done so admirably, winning the utility gold glove in the award's inaugural year. Despite the lack of a defined position, Donovan has continued to find consistent playing time because of his flexibility and offensive performance. Heading into this fourth year, Donovan is a career .280 hitter with a .771 OPS and a 116 OPS+, so the Cardinals will continue to find a place for him to play, whether as a backup infielder or a starting outfielder.

2. Thomas Saggese

Like Donovan, prospect Thomas Saggese was expected to have a clear role in 2025 after making an abbreviated debut at the end of last season before another strong performance in the Arizona Fall League. While his Major League debut did not provide astonishing results, the 2024 top-100 prospect has a minor league career OPS of .842 with promising peripherals to back up the numbers.

With Arenado currently on the roster, Saggese would struggle to find consistent playing time at the big league level, with Donovan also fighting to fill the utility role. Saggese can play all four infield positions but the team may opt to keep the 22-year-old in Memphis to ensure everyday at-bats. Saggese's role with the Cardinals might be the one most directly tied to Arenado's trade market as he could either see himself taking 300+ at-bats in the majors or spending another season honing his craft in Triple-A.