Cardinals could be desperate Red Sox's savior again after Alex Bregman mess

With Alex Bregman leaving the Red Sox and joining the Cubs, a clear path has opened up for the Cardinals to trade Brendan Donovan. Ketel Marte is officially off the market as well, and it's only a matter of time before names like Bo Bichette and Eugenio Suarez also come off. Last month, the Mariners and Giants emerged as the top suitors for Donovan, but Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported later that the Red Sox were also a possibility.

Now, the Red Sox are turning their attention to Bichette with Bregman gone. That is their first choice, per Jen McCaffrey. She also notes that a third trade between the Cardinals and Red Sox is highly unlikely, but not impossible.

But let's say for a minute that the Red Sox are unable to land Bichette or Suarez. The best option available at that point is Donovan in terms of trades. Obviously, Chaim Bloom is very comfortable dealing with his former team, but what could the Cardinals actually get for Donovan in terms of prospects?

What can the Cardinals get for Donovan from the Red Sox?

Donovan is the best trade chip the Cardinals have, and they could get a lot for him. Bloom has said that he isn't ruling out the addition of another starting pitcher, and the Red Sox have two young ones that stand out.

Left-handers Payton Tolle and Connelly Early debuted for the Red Sox in 2025. Now, let's be clear: There's no way the Cardinals will acquire both of them. Tolle is the No. 2 prospect in Boston's system, while Early is ranked No. 4. Even Donovan won't get the Cardinals both of them.

To be fair, the Cardinals have a lot more pitching depth than they're getting credit for. Even after trading Sonny Gray, they added Dustin May and still have Matthew Liberatore, Kyle Leahy, Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy, Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins and Quinn Mathews. That's eight starters competing for five spots in spring training. Brycen Mautz is almost ready, Ixan Henderson is making strides, and Tink Hence may find his way to the big-league club in 2026 at some point.

However, the Cardinals experienced firsthand the damage that injuries can do. They simply didn't have enough depth last year, and they were forced to roll with a struggling Pallante and Miles Mikolas. You can never have too much pitching depth, and it would be nice to see the Cardinals add one of the two top pitching prospects from the Red Sox to beef up their rotation.

Obviously, they'll need more than just that. They're a little short on position players down in the minors as well. Infielder Mikey Romero could be an interesting fit and somebody who could fill a utility infield role for the Cardinals.

It all depends on what the Red Sox would be willing to give up in order to land Donovan and if they'll even decide to make another trade with Bloom and the Cardinals. But those are just a few prospects that I could see the Cardinals targeting.

Early and Tolle are Major League ready and can be added to the rotation instantly, depending on what Bloom seeks and which one he'll want, but while fans may be tired of seeing Bloom deal with old club, there is a lot of value in sending Donovan to Boston if that comes to pass.