Nobody got what they wanted out of Mariners' 3-team Brendan Donovan trade

We're confident the majority of Mariners fans remember the excitement which surrounded the acquisition of Brendan Donovan back in February. While they gave up quite a haul in the three-team blockbuster trade, it was perceived as worth it to bring in a key piece to help in the quest for that elusive World Series berth. Now though, the optimism has been replaced by that familiar sinking feeling in Seattle, with Donovan's overall impact proving to be disappointing.

In fairness Donovan was lights out early on, batting above .300 with a .954 OPS and 179 wRC+ in his first 18 games. Then the issues started to appear, with him going to the Injured List in late-April for a left groin muscle strain which was a fallout from his offseason surgery for a sports hernia. He would return in early-May, but lasted barely a week before he was back on the IL with the same issue.

What followed was a longer-than-expected second stint on the IL for Donovan, which at times seemed to be shrouded in mystery. He finally returned on Aug. 4 after an absence which lasted around two and a half months, but he has been terrible in four appearances, going just 2-for-13 in 14 at-bats and not accruing a single walk or RBI. Let's also not forget that at no point this season, has he installed much (any) confidence which his defensive play at third base.

Mariners can take at least some solace in how the Cardinals and Rays have made out so far

As much as Donovan has essentially been a non-factor since his good first impression during April, one consolation is the Cardinals and Rays haven't seen much of a return in their investments either. As a result we're in a weird situation where no one is getting what they initially hoped for, when putting this trade together.

The Cardinals understandably believed they did well in the trade, acquiring Jurrangelo Cijntje and Tai Peete from the Mariners, as well as Colton Ledbetter from the Rays. Cijnte was the No. 91 prospect in baseball at the time as per MLB Pipeline, while Peete was Seattle's No. 11 prospect and Ledbetter was ranked No. 24 in the Tampa Bay farm system. In addition, St. Louis received a competitive balance round B pick from each team.

Cijnte was the jewel in the crown for the Cardinals, and with his path to the majors seemingly clearer following the decision to focus on being a righty instead of continuing as a switch-pitcher. (The decision was actually made while he was still with the Mariners, but carried over to St. Louis.) However, he has taken a step back this year and has been even worse since his call-up to Triple-Memphis, resulting in dropping out of MLB Pipeline's top 100 prospects.

Cardinals' best return so far has come from their least-heralded addition

Turning to Peete, he has had his moments highlighted by twice hitting for the cycle, and overall batting .282 with a .910 OPS and 124 wRC+ across three minor league levels. However, he has experienced some Donovan vibes, with three trips to the IL which have limited him to 49 games. Ledbetter has actually been the most solid of the trio, hitting .262 with a .730 OPS across 81 Triple-A Memphis games, but how much is expected long-term from a prospect who doesn't feature in the Cardinals' top 30 as per MLB Pipeline?

As for the Rays, we'll again acknowledge we weren't happy about the Mariners giving up Williamson. He had Gold Glove-level potential and as much as he struggled at the plate, our thinking was he would improve over time a la Cole Young's offensive jump from last year to this. Well, the reality is Williamson still can't hit and now he's on the IL with a right hamstring strain which is expected to keep him out until at least late August, but potentially spilling over into September.

Overall, it's not at a stage where you would call this trade a bust for everyone, but it has certainly been a dud so far. There's still hope for the three teams, but the need for patience now comes into play more so. Although the Mariners are worst-placed in this respect, with Donovan brought it to help them right away, but instead adding to the narrative that this has been a year of wasted potential in Seattle.

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