Rating the concern level with 7 struggling Cardinals as spring training wraps up

Brendan Donovan

Concern level: 1/10

With how crowded the Cardinals' position player group is this year, the club needs Brendan Donovan to be productive and healthy for them throughout the year. I have zero doubt he'll rise to the occasion, even though he has not been producing in camp thus far.

Slashing .186/.239/.233 in camp so far, Donovan has not been driving the ball at the plate, but he's been consistently productive in his big league career so far. The club will rely on Donovan for offensive production this year, and I do not have any concerns about his ability to do that.

If Donovan were to struggle this year, that would be a huge blow for this roster. His ability to plug in for them in the outfield and infield allows the club to fit different players into their lineup each day. Without Donovan, they lose that flexibility from a top player, and that can thin out this lineup rather quickly.

I don't think it is a coincidence that the Cardinals had a top-seven lineup in all of baseball back in 2023 when Donovan was healthy and producing. When he went down with season-ending elbow surgery, the lineup completely fell off, and it never has rebounded. If Donovan can put together a strong campaign as he did during the summer of 2023 or the entire 2022 season, that could mean big things for the Cardinals offense in 2025.

For that to happen, though, Donovan will need to stay on the field, and he'll obviously have to turn things around at the plate. Donovan gave some great insight on his development as a hitter on the Dealin' the Cards podcast earlier this month, and it's worth the listen.

I expect big things from Donovan in 2025 and am not at all concerned by his struggles at the plate during camp.