Brendan Donovan's scorching hot start is a reminder that Cardinals' rebuild will be painful

The St. Louis Cardinals have had a fine start to the 2026 season thanks, in part, to the emergence of top prospect JJ Wetherholt at second base.

However, that position was only open because of the offseason trade involving All-Star Brendan Donovan, who was shipped to Seattle in exchange for prospects Jurrangelo Cijntje, Tai Peete, and Colton Ledbetter, plus two competitive balance round B draft picks. While it'll be a long time before we know if the Redbirds did well in the deal, the Mariners are expressing absolutely zero buyer's remorse at this point.

That's because Donovan is on a world-beating heater through the first week and change of the season. Though he's struggled to adapt to being a full-time third baseman, he's hitting a robust .417/.533/.750, good for a 275 wRC+. Despite some poor defensive metrics, he's still been worth 0.5 fWAR in just seven games.

Wouldn't he look so good in the middle of the Cardinals' lineup right now?

Brendan Donovan trade had to happen, even if he's found another gear with Mariners

Early-season stats are notoriously fickle due to the small sample size they're derived from, so don't expect Donovan to stay this hot forever. There's even some flaws in his overall body of work -- he's still among the slowest swingers in the sport, and he whiffs far too often for a leadoff hitter -- that suggest this scorching-hot start may be a mirage.

But, even if he keeps up this newfound level of production, the Cardinals shouldn't have regrets about trading him when they did; Donovan had just two years left on his contract and was coming off a career-best 2025 season at the time. The return included both quantity and quality, and the value of those draft picks shouldn't go understated.

Plus, with Donovan out of the picture, the team has gotten a nice long look at the future of the middle infield. Wetherholt and Masyn Winn may very well be the faces of the franchise moving forward, particularly if the Cardinals can lock up the former as part of the prospect-extension frenzy that has swept the league.

Donovan was in a different camp than Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras, all of whom were past-their-prime veterans with expensive contracts. The Cardinals didn't have to trade him, though by doing so, they completely turned over a new leaf. There is value in committing fully to one direction, even if that direction leads to you quite a bit of losing.

For Cardinals fans who do want to reminisce about the good old days with Donnie, the good news is you won't have to wait long. The Mariners will be coming to town from April 24-26 for a tasty weekend series that should come with a pretty emotional tribute video on the side.