Cardinals might've missed boat to capitalize on Brendan Donovan's trade value

For a few months, it seemed like Brendan Donovan's dream season was in full effect.

Prior to suffering a toe injury in mid-June, the St. Louis Cardinals' second baseman had a 132 wRC+ and .819 OPS through 64 games. In the 46 games between then and his placement on the injured list, those numbers dropped to an 84 wRC+ and .653 OPS.

Now on the IL for an undetermined amount of time with a groin injury, Donovan's career-best season may have hit its final snag. At 63-64 and 5.0 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot, the team doesn't have much incentive to rush their All-Star back.

Though there's a clear and obvious sect of the fanbase that wants to keep Donovan around for his entire career, it's possible that the Cardinals might have lost their choice in the matter.

Brendan Donovan's injury, recent performance will quiet his trade market this offseason

The Cardinals had a relatively mild trade deadline, opting to deal exclusively rental relievers in anticipation of Chaim Bloom's full takeover of the front office this winter.

It was reported numerous times that other teams were calling about Donovan prior to July 31, including the Yankees and Dodgers, though the Cardinals refused to let him go for anything less than a massive haul.

Now, that was a defensible stance, especially in the wake of Donovan's maiden All-Star nod. However, it's clear now that there was a chance for a larger reset at the deadline that the Cardinals failed to capitalize on.

The Milwaukee Brewers appear to be preparing for a Cardinals-esque run atop the division. The Cubs, hilariously frustrating as they are to their fans, are set to be legitimate contenders for at least the next few seasons. And the Reds, at 67-60, are far younger and more ready to win now than the Cardinals are.

There's a case to be made that trading Donovan, 28, at the peak of his value would have been the right move for the franchise. He's got two more years of team control left via arbitration, and a trade this offseason now seems rather unlikely given his struggles since June.

Of course, if Donovan returns healthy next year and produces similarly to how he started the 2025 season, then he'll once again be one of the Cardinals' best players (and one of the best trade chips on the market, should St. Louis become sellers again). But, with the benefit of hindsight, perhaps the front office wishes they would have more seriously negotiated a trade of Donovan, who will be worth less one year from now as he loses another precious year of team control.