Cardinals rumors: 4 possible Brendan Donovan trade destinations

Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners sure could use some help up the middle of the infield. Josh Rojas was their second baseman last year after Kolten Wong was released in early August. Rojas finished the season with a .245/.303/.338 slash line; he was a positive defender in 2023, but his 2021 and 2022 seasons featured a negative Outs Above Average. Seattle would benefit with a better offensive and defensive second baseman; enter Brendan Donovan.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi discussed at the trade deadline how the Mariners and Cardinals would have been good trade partners, and the same remains true this offseason. According to Morosi, the Cardinals were willing to listen to offers on their position players so long as the return was pitching with multiple years of control. George Kirby fits that bill, but Seattle has been adamant that he is not available.

Most of those talks were held around the trade deadline, but St. Louis and Seattle are more than likely revisiting those conversations since the same problems still exist for both teams. Bryce Miller, Logan Gilbert, and Bryan Woo are all young pitchers who have a track record of success or a high prospect status.

"But if the team calling you is offering you a player who is 26, who’s not arbitration-eligible still for multiple years, not a free agent until after 2028, that’s the kind of thing that you talk about."

Jon Morosi

Derrick Goold also touched on the Mariners' interest in a "left-handed force" in his weekly chat. Assuming the Cardinals want control, the Mariners would like that control to be matched. Donovan is a controllable left-handed batter.

Gilbert finished 2023 with a 3.73 ERA in 190 innings; he isn't a free agent until after the 2027 season. Miller had a 4.32 ERA in 131 innings, but he is only 25 years old. He has 6 years of control left and is a favorite prospect of the Mariners. Bryan Woo made a small appearance at the major league level last year, and he had a 4.21 ERA in 87.2 innings. In AA, Woo pitched 44 innings for a 2.05 ERA and 0.886 WHIP.

Trade Prediction: Brendan Donovan and Edwin Nunez for Bryce Miller