Who's the main piece the Cardinals got for Brendan Donovan?

The St. Louis Cardinals capped off a sell-off trilogy that saw All-Stars Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and, most recently, Brendan Donovan depart from The Lou. The return on investment is yet to be seen, as most of what came back was young, developing talent. However, it’s fun to predict! 

The centerpiece of the Donovan deal that sent the Gold Glove winner to Seattle was the Mariners’ #7-ranked prospect, Jurrangelo Cijntje. The highly touted arm is a unicorn of sorts as a switch-pitcher. Cijntje throws from both the right and the left side and has plus stuff with both arms. 

Meet Jurrangelo Cijnte, the main piece of the Brendan Donovan trade

Right before the deal went through, the Mariners front office released a statement saying Cijntje would only be throwing from the right side in spring training games. Obviously, in the post-trade presser, the first question shot at President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom was about this tidbit. Bloom stated the Cardinals will leave the door open for Cijntje to continue to throw from the left side just to build their own scouting report, but he sees a likely possibility that the hurler will end up as a right-hander only. Why would St. Louis limit such a unique talent by taking away his once-in-a-generation ability?

To put it simply, Cijntje is vastly better from the right side than as a southpaw. Scouts have deemed his ceiling highest as a right-handed starter, and for good reason. From the right side, his fastball regularly dwells in the upper 90s, and he flashes a tight slider that induces plenty of swing-and-miss, as well as mixing in a changeup with nice fading action against lefties. Not only does he have plus stuff, but he’s also a strike thrower! It seems like the last few years, every Cardinal with good stuff can’t find the zone, and every Cardinal who negates the walks throws flat fastballs and loopy secondary pitches. Cijntje has a chance to show the Redbird faithful what real ace potential is supposed to look like. 

When it comes to focusing on just his right-sidedness, flash back to better times when Tommy Edman donned the birds on the bat. The switch-hitter had a clear hole as a lefty at the plate (.523 OPS versus righties in 2024), and it tanked his offensive numbers. Instead of nudging him in the right direction to strictly man the right-handed batter's box, the Cardinals were stubborn and stuck in their ways. Switch-hitting might look good on paper for matchups, but it only plays that way if you’re a good hitter from both sides. Since he’s joined the Dodgers, Edman has made it a point to take right-handed at-bats against right-handed pitchers when he feels it’s more comfortable for him, and his success at the plate speaks volumes. 

The acknowledgment of Cijntje’s clear potential from the right side is very indicative of the Cardinals' front office waking up to past mistakes, and Chaim Bloom should be given all the credit in the world.