2B/OF Brendan Donovan
Brendan Donovan embodies what it means to be a St. Louis Cardinal. He grinds out at-bats, he puts others first, he does whatever it takes to help the team, and he is a leader in the clubhouse. However, there's a chance Brendan Donovan won't still be around for the team's next competitive window.
Brendan Donovan is a wanted man throughout the league, and the deadline chatter proved that. The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and several other teams expressed interest in the Cardinals' utility man, but the price was quite high for the organization's favorite player.
Donovan is in the midst of his best year yet with a .285/.358/.416 slash line and nine home runs. He's driven in 42 runners and scored 55 times himself. Donovan's 119 OPS+ is the highest of his career so far, excluding his rookie season, when he also won a Gold Glove. He has been the club's leadoff hitter for a couple of months now, and he's also the de facto clubhouse leader.
Trading Brendan Donovan would be devastating to the team. He's a solid contributor on both ends of the ball, and he's great in the clubhouse. Fans also love his hard work. However, if Chaim Bloom doesn't want to extend Brendan Donovan and if he doesn't see the team being truly competitive in 2026 or 2027, trading Brendan Donovan this offseason may be the team's best choice.
Donovan by himself could net quite the return, be it prospects or a major leaguer. Regardless, trading him could help fill holes elsewhere on the roster. Donny is the heart and soul of this team. Seeing him traded away this offseason will hurt, but it could be necessary to fill other holes in the lineup. The Cardinals have JJ Wetherholt behind Donovan who can play multiple positions, though Wetherholt isn't quite the same as Brendan Donovan.
If Chaim Bloom isn't willing to sign Brendan Donovan to a multi-year extension to be a leader for the next core of Cardinals, he should consider trading the utility player. There's plenty of value in having Donovan around during the team's next competitive window even if he regresses and 2025 is his peak in on-field performance. Bloom can't continue to let Donovan play without intentions of extending or trading him.