Reacting to the Cardinals' top 7 trade candidates ranking from MLBTR

Brendan Donovan (#6 Cardinals trade candidate, #20 overall)

The Cardinals are not trading Brendan Donovan.

I get the point Adams was making. Donovan should carry a lot of value on this market and is only under club control for three more seasons. This may be his peak trade value, as clubs would love to add his bat and defensive versatility to their club. But I'm confident the Cardinals value him too much to let him go.

If this was a three or so year rebuild the Cardinals were looking at, Donovan would make more sense as a trade piece, but it sounds like the goal is to compete in 2026 and 2027, and Donovan can be a big part of that. In fact, Donovan should be a part of that in 2028 and beyond as well. The Cardinals would be wise to lock him up on a long-term deal, ensuring his versatility keeps complementing their roster for years to come.

Donovan is a well above-league average hitter who can play six different positions. He may secure his second Gold Glove here soon. I like Thomas Saggese and Nolan Gorman, but there is no need to send Donovan packing to provide playing time for them. There is plenty of playing time to go around.

Donovan has emerged as one of the Cardinals leaders in their clubhouse, and if they are really going to be parting ways with a lot of their veterans, Donovan makes perfect sense to lead this club in 2025 and beyond. He has the wisdom, maturity, and work ethic to be respected by veterans, and he also connects well with young players. Donovan ushered in a new tradition for rookies who made their MLB debut this year, a huge hit in the clubhouse.

This is not a full-scale rebuild in St. Louis. Trading away someone like Donovan would move things in that direction, and I do not see why Mozeliak or Chaim Bloom would sign off on that. He is far more valuable to the Cardinals than he would be on the trade market, and he should be held onto.

I would completely remove Donovan from this list, and more importantly, so would the Cardinals. Sure, he is not "untouchable", but I don't see him as a "trade candidate". It would take a crazy good offer for St. Louis to pivot here.