Cardinals Rumors: 4 top prospects revealed to be targets in Brendan Donovan trade

The St. Louis Cardinals stole headlines earlier today with their first free agent signing of the Chaim Bloom era, signing Dustin May to be an upside play for their rotation. Now they are looking to cash in their top trade asset in Brendan Donovan, and a new report has revealed which prospects the Cardinals are targeting in a trade.

According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, the Seattle Mariners and the San Francisco Giants have risen to the top of the potential trade partners for the Cardinals in a Donovan trade. Along with that updated report, Woo revealed which specific high-upside prospects are being talked about in trades.

Cardinals are targeting top prospects from the Giants and Mariners as Brendan Donovan trade talks heat up

The Mariners continue to look like a prime trade partner for the Cardinals, with two high upside prospects being named as targets for the Cardinals. According to Woo, outfielder Lazaro Montes and switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje are the two names that they appear interested in.

Montes, who Baseball America has as the Mariners' third-best prospect in a loaded farm system, boasts plus-plus power but really needs to improve some of his other tools in order to hit his ceiling. He has clear 30 home run upside from the left side. Cijntje, the 15th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, steals headlines with his switch-pitching approach, but he is clearly better pitching from the right side right now. His fastball touches the upper-90s, and he has an above-average slider and change-up to pair with it.

Matt Pierpont, the Cardinals' director of pitching, came over from the Seattle Mariners following the 2024 season, so he should have a good grasp on the Mariners' pitching.

In the Giants' negotiations, 2025 first-round pick Gavin Kilen and left-handed pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt are the apple of the Cardinals' eye. Obviously, other names are likely being discussed, but it won't come as a surprise if Klein and Whisenhunt are the headliners of a deal if Donovan is sent to San Francisco.

Both are top 10 prospects in the Giants system, according to MLB Pipeline and Baseball America. Wisenhunt made his MLB debut in 2025, posting a 5.01 ERA in his five starts. He has a plus-plus change-up, but needs to work on the rest of his arsenal if he is going to become an impact starter. Kilen struggled in his 10-game debut in 2025, but missed most of August and all of September with an undisclosed injury. He has a plus hit tool to pair with above-average run, arm, and fielding tools.

Donovan is likely to be traded in the near future, and I'll be interviewing him as part of a charity event I am partnering with him on Tuesday, December 16th, on the Dealin' the Cards YouTube channel. We will be raising money for The Kauffman Fund, an organization Donovan is partnered with that raises support for veterans. We will certainly be talking to him about this on Tuesday.

Whenever movement happens, we'll be here to cover it on the site.