MLB insider speculation connects Cardinals' Brendan Donovan to AL powerhouse in trade

The St. Louis Cardinals have made it abundantly clear that they don't want to trade their cornerstone All-Star Brendan Donovan.

That won't stop teams from trying.

It would be devastating to the Cardinals faithful if Brendan Donovan were to be traded. He's been the heart of the team for the last three years while providing plus production in the field and at the plate. He has a career slash line of .284/.364/.413 for an OPS+ of 118. Donovan has taken things to another level this year, with a .296/.364/.433 slash line for a 123 OPS+.

Donovan is able to play multiple positions on the diamond defensively. His value that he provides to the Cardinals is virtually unmatched on the roster.

Would the St. Louis Cardinals actually consider trading All-Star second baseman Brendan Donovan?

John Heyman threw out the idea of trading Brendan Donovan on Twitter/X. Initially, Heyman threw out the idea of Donovan being traded to the New York Yankees. However, the Yankees just traded for third baseman Ryan McMahon. That doesn't totally remove the Yankees from the Brendan Donovan sweepstakes, however far-fetched that sweepstakes may be.

Heyman, and subsequently John Denton, also threw out a secondary team who could be interested in Brendan Donovan: the Houston Astros.

Denton added to Heyman's concept by mentioning the Cardinals' top prospect, infielder JJ Wetherholt, as backfill for Brendan Donovan. However, it's not as simple as "the Cardinals can replace Brendan Donovan with JJ Wetherholt." While Wetherholt is doing quite well at the Triple-A level with Memphis, he's still not quite ready for the majors, and some additional seasoning would do the 2024 draftee well.

Donovan provides leadership, experience, and versatility to the team. He's been invaluable recently from a leadership perspective. He's also been able to be one of the best all-around players on the team at the same time.

The Astros are playing rookie Brice Matthews at second base right now and veteran Jose Altuve in left field. If they acquire Brendan Donovan, they'll certainly move Altuve out of left field, a place where he's struggled defensively. Donovan could also fill in at third base for the Astros.

For the Cardinals to trade Brendan Donovan, they would have to be blown away by the offer. Could the Houston Astros offer that to the Cardinals?

Their farm system is not overly strong,

St. Louis should target a bona fide starting pitcher should they deal Donovan. His value is good enough on the open market to warrant a return of a major-league-ready top-of-the-rotation arm. The Astros have Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown at the top of their rotation. Valdez is just a rental, as he's a free agent at the end of the year. Hunter Brown also isn't for sale, given his status as the team's resident ace.

Christian Javier, who posted a 3.89 ERA in 34.2 innings with 27 strikeouts in 2024 before getting hurt, could be an option, but the Cardinals will likely want to see how his rehab starts go before committing to him.

From a prospect perspective, the Astros don't have much to offer. Their top prospect, Brice Matthews, is a middle infielder. The Cardinals have no need for that.

Left-handed hitting outfielder Jacob Melton has a .270/.378/.524 slash line at Triple-A this year in only 18 games. He's logged 29 at-bats in the majors with a .241/.290/.310 slash line with 12 strikeouts and only two walks.

Right-hander Miguel Ullola would be an interesting player for the Cardinals to target. He has a 3.50 ERA in Triple-A with 89 strikeouts in only 69.1 innings. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and touches 98 which stays up in the zone well. It's easily his best pitch, and the Cardinals could use a fastball like that in the rotation. The only problem is that Ullola by himself probably isn't enough for Brendan Donovan.

The St. Louis Cardinals are very unlikely to trade away Brendan Donovan, but if they explore his market, he could net the club a controllable high-end starting pitcher. Get ready, fans!