Mariners' plan could push Brendan Donovan's comfort zone to its breaking point

You don't go and get a guy like Brendan Donovan and then ask him to keep it simple. He's one of the most all-around useful players in Major League Baseball, so it's no surprise to hear that the Seattle Mariners' plan is to use him like he is exactly that.

Citing sources familiar with the club's thinking, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com spilled the beans on the Mariners' blueprint for Donovan in an article on Wednesday. The breakdown of his upcoming responsibilities goes like this:

• He'll be the everyday leadoff man
• He'll enter spring training as the primary third baseman
• He'll also play other positions depending on matchups
• He'll be Josh Naylor's primary backup at first base

At first glance, none of this is controversial. Though Donovan has experience at all four infield positions, third base is his best according to Defensive Runs Saved. He's also an ideal leadoff hitter, in that he grinds pesky at-bats and is usually good for an OBP in the mid-to-high .300s.

Yet as good a hitter as Donovan is, the notion that he will be the everyday leadoff guy is cause to pump the brakes.

Even Brendan Donovan might not be able to do all that the Mariners will ask of him

Kramer echoed the company line that there will be platoons in Dan Wilson's offense, but specifically notes that Donovan will be exempt as part of his purview as the everyday leadoff guy. That is frankly giving him more credit than he deserves.

Donovan, who hits lefty, is coming off a year in which he only had a .292 OBP against left-handed pitching. He's done better throughout his whole career, but we're still talking much less OBP and power against lefties (.325 OBP, 2 HR) than against righties (.373 OBP, 38 HR).

This is not to suggest that Donovan should sit against lefties, but moving him down in the order on those days would be a perfectly sound strategy. Instead, Wilson could default to Julio Rodríguez or Randy Arozarena at leadoff, or even Victor Robles if good health allows for a return to form in 2026.

The defensive plan for Donovan isn't ironclad either. Though he does rate well as a third baseman for his career, he barely played there for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2023 and 2024. He didn't get any action at the hot corner in 2025, nor has he gotten any at first base since 2023. Overwhelmingly, he's played second base and left field over the last two years.

It's odd, then, that the Mariners don't envision much action for him at either spot. The left field component is fair enough, given Arozarena's presence out there. And, to be fair, he will be needed at second base if Cole Young isn't up to the task of earning the job this spring.

As it stands, though, the Mariners seem determined to test Donovan's limits. How and when he is useful is obvious, yet his portfolio of responsibilities in Seattle includes jobs for which he's inexperienced or just plain unqualified for.

If everything works out, Donovan's creds as the Ben Zobrist of his era will grow. If it doesn't, the Mariners may have to recalibrate before his Seattle tenure goes off the rails.