Mariners could capitalize on Cardinals drama with under-the-radar trade

Things haven't looked great for the Cardinals over the past few years. They haven't made it back to the postseason since they were unceremoniously swept by the Phillies in 2022 and they've slowly watched their best assets leave in free agency or decline quickly.

This winter, most trade talks surrounding the Cardinals have been linked to one player in particular, but now that others are going through arbitration, it seems another one of their top talents could potentially be up for grabs.

In his first year of the process, infielder Brendan Donovan and the Cardinals were unable to come to an agreement, and will likely leave it to an arbitrator to settle the difference.

Donovan filed at $3.3 million, while St. Louis only put up $2.85 million, a surprisingly small sum of money to create a disagreement, given his contributions to the team thus far. Because a third party will have the final say, someone will inevitably be left unsatisfied with the result, which could open the door to a potential trade. Donovan, who apparently fancied a long-term deal, likely won't be thrilled over that not materializing, either.

Mariners could step in and trade for Cardinals' Brendan Donovan, without long-term security

Donovan was the fourth-most valuable player on the Cardinals in 2024, accumulating 2.6 rWAR with a 112 OPS+ over 652 plate appearances. Offensively, he makes excellent swing decisions, chasing just 23.7% of the time and keeping both his whiff and strikeout rates below 15%. He doesn't have as much natural power as some of the bigger bats in the league but he's getting as much as he can from his swing, squaring up balls 35.2% of the time, which places him in the 98th percentile for the statistic.

He also has excellent defensive flexibility, splitting time between the second and third base as well as left field. Despite being limited by a weak arm, he showed outstanding range, posting 6 Outs Above Average in 2024.

For the Mariners, the value is obvious. Donovan has the ability to play both of the infield positions the team is currently lacking, has an approach that prioritizes balls in play rather than the three true outcomes, and has three more years of team control attached to him. Unfortunately, this means that St. Louis may not be open to forming a deal with him as the centerpiece, preferring to work things out internally. Prior to this hiccup in negotiations, there were rumors that he would potentially receive a multi-year deal, along with Lars Nootbaar. Thus, if the Cardinals are even open to trading him, they'll undoubtedly charge an arm and a leg.

Their rotation does need help, but that could create the same disagreement that prevented a deal between the Red Sox and the Mariners from happening, making all of this exciting, but still unlikely.

Typically, a long shot like Brendan Donovan would be out of the question, but given the current activity (or lack thereof) from the Cards' front office, no stone should be left unturned in the search for bigger bats and a better roster.