Cardinals send Mariners a now-or-never warning on Brendan Donovan trade talks

If the Seattle Mariners needed a clearer read on how the Cardinals are playing this Brendan Donovan thing, Chaim Bloom just handed them one — with a stopwatch attached.

Multiple reports, including from Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, noted Bloom’s comments at the Cardinals’ Winter Warm-Up. The Cardinals’ president of baseball ops said he’d “ideally” like Donovan’s situation resolved “one way or other” by the start of Spring Training. It’s a clear message to make your best offer soon, or stop calling.

Mariners face a brutal Brendan Donovan dilemma as Cardinals turn up pressure

For Seattle, that’s where the tension lives. We’ve talked ad nauseam about how Donovan makes too much sense as a Mariners target that can stabilize an infield and stop the lineup from feeling like several philosophies stapled together. He wouldn’t be counted on as a franchise savior, but he’s definitely an “adult in the room” hitter who can keep innings alive and make the team’s stars matter more often.

The problem is the Cardinals are trying to sell him like he’s untouchable.

You’ve already seen the valuation gap get loud. St. Louis treats Donovan like a headliner, while interested teams see a very good complementary player. That distinction is the whole negotiation. Because the second Seattle starts bargaining against its own need, the price jumps.

The Mariners do need a little more help. But Bloom’s “spring training” line is exactly how teams get panicky and talk themselves into paying retail for something they originally liked at wholesale.

A key detail Seattle can’t forget: the Cardinals don’t have to move him right now. Donovan is arbitration-controlled for two more seasons, and St. Louis’ urgency also softened when the Nolan Arenado deal opened up roster breathing room on the infield. Bloom can wait, posture, and try to create the illusion of a ticking clock while keeping every option open.

So this is the Mariners’ now-or-never warning — but not in the way St. Louis wants. It’s a warning to pick a line and hold it. Decide what Donovan is worth to you, not what the Cardinals want him to be worth in public. If the price stays absurd, walk and pivot. If it drops into reality, make your move.

The only truly “now-or-never” outcome here is Seattle letting someone else’s deadline trick them into a deal they could be explaining all summer.