Yankees fans continue begging for Cardinals cornerstone player

During the 2023-2024 offseason, it became clear that St. Louis Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan was growing in favoritism among his teammates. He was becoming a leader in the clubhouse after just his third professional season at the time, and his star was beginning to shine.

Donovan was a force on the field in 2024 for the Cardinals, too. He finished the year with a .278/.342/.417 slash line and a .759 OPS with 14 home runs, 51 extra-base hits, and a 115 wRC+. Donovan excelled at squaring up the ball and not falling victim to whiffs last year, as he finished in the 98th percentile in squared-up percentage and the 94th percentile in whiff percentage. He didn't hit the ball very hard, but he's one of the game's best contact hitters. Donovan also struck out just 12.4% of the time, good for the 97th percentile in the league.

Brendan Donovan is also able to capably play several positions on the field, and his Utility Gold Glove in 2022 is evidence of that. He's played left field, second base, third base, right field, and even first base in his career. He's a plus defender at multiple positions, and his versatility is key to the Cardinals' roster plans in 2025 and beyond. Donnie is just now entering his first year of arbitration, so he's three years away from free agency still.

Fans of the New York Yankees have been clamoring for Brendan Donovan for almost two years now, but they won't be able to pry him from the Cardinals.

The New York Yankees have been desperately searching for consistent left-handed bats who can play multiple positions, primarily left field, second base, and third base, for the last two years. Players like Trent Grisham, Alex Verdugo, Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Oswaldo Cabrera, and Oswald Peraza have been thrown at these key spots in the interim, but their lackluster production by and large have made Yankees fans want more.

Their fans have been clamoring for Brendan Donovan via trade. However, the Cardinals will be hard-pressed to deal him to the East Coast elites.

Despite not coming to an agreement in arbitration, there has been zero indication that the Cardinals want to trade Brendan Donovan. In fact, they've shut down trade requests from clubs like the Seattle Mariners, a pitching hotbed. It's also been rumored that both the Cardinals and Donovan are interested in a long-term agreement to keep him with the club for many years beyond arbitration.

Last year, Yankee left fielders finished 21st in bWAR with a total of -0.9. Their third basemen were 17th in baseball with 0.2 bWAR, and their second basemen were 15th in the league with -0.3 bWAR. It's no question as to why the Yankees want Donovan, a consistent three-WAR player with positional versatility.

Donovan's leadership abilities were shown once again at the Cardinals Winter Warm-Up event just last week. The 28-year-old Swiss Army knife spoke glowingly of a former Cardinal in Paul Goldschmidt and how Goldy showed Donovan how to be a leader both on and off the field. He's become a vital part of this ball club, and there's virtually no chance Donovan will be traded soon, even to the New York Yankees.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Yankees fans, but Brendan Donovan will not be pried from the Cardinals. He is about as untouchable as a player gets.