Jurrangelo Cijntje isn't looking like Mariners' big loss in Brendan Donovan trade

The Mariners' trade for Brendan Donovan isn't even three months old, so we're not going to pretend the history of it is final. But out of the two former first-round picks they gave up to get him, it's the alleged top-100 prospect who is having difficulties.

For the Cardinals' end of the Donovan trade, Jurrangelo Cijntje was meant to be the centerpiece while Tai Peete was more like a throw-in. St. Louis nonetheless zigged precisely where Seattle was about to zig, agreeing that the switch-pitching Cijntje should really only be throwing right-handed.

It's the right call, yet it is not quite moving the experiment forward. Cijntje, who was Seattle's No. 15 pick in the 2024 draft, has made four starts for Double-A Springfield and been knocked around for a 5.50 ERA. He's walked 12 and given up 15 hits (including five home runs) over 18.0 innings, otherwise striking out 20 batters.

The 22-year-old is predictably holding right-handed batters to a .167 average, but the bad splits he had against lefties in 2025 still remain. They're hitting .278 with six walks against him when he's throwing righty — mind you, he did do a little switch-pitching on Tuesday.

Cijntje is still a well-regarded prospect, landing at No. 81 in recent rankings by FanSided's Eric Cole. Yet there is a strain of thought that he's ticketed for a career as a relief pitcher, and it's now clearly the Cardinals' turn to wait for him to prove otherwise.

Trade to Cardinals is looking like the change of scenery Tai Peete needed

Peete, on the other hand, has started his time in the Cardinals organization like gangbusters. His .884 OPS for High-A Peoria is a 192-point improvement over the OPS he posted for Single-A Everett last year. He even hit for the cycle last week.

The Mariners always knew the power potential was there. It was one of Peete's standout tools when they drafted him at No. 30 in 2023, with the others being plus speed and arm strength.

Swing-and-miss issues were what plagued the 20-year-old while he was in the Mariners system, and those persist in 2026. He's fanned in 28.6 percent of his plate appearances, which is not what you want to see from a hitter at the High-A level.

Peete is, however, walking at a career-best 12.9 percent clip. As the big club is among the walk rate gainers early in 2026, this might hint at a point of emphasis for the entire Cardinals organization. It's a good fit on Peete, as patience at the plate is the best way to paper over a swing-and-miss problem — and especially so if there's also power and speed involved.

Obviously, the Mariners aren't wishing they could take this trade back. Prior to his placement on the IL with a hip injury, Donovan had been as advertised. Peete's rise more so looks like a potential back door to a win-win trade from the Cardinals' perspective, and nobody has ever complained about any kind of win-win trade.

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