The St. Louis Cardinals began their offseason by announcing their intentions to “reset” the organization ahead of the 2025 season, prior to Chaim Bloom taking over as president of baseball operations after this season.
Nolan Arenado has been the most frequently discussed trade candidate, though at one point, nearly every veteran on the roster was rumored to be on the trading block. However, both Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras have made it clear they don’t want to be traded due to their no-trade clauses.
Now, the future of the team is uncertain. Arenado is still widely expected to be moved due to the volume of trade rumors, but it remains unclear whether other prominent Cardinals players will also be dealt.
Caleb Moody of Just Baseball evaluated the roster and categorized players by the likelihood of being traded. One player he highlighted as “worth having the conversation” is utility man Brendan Donovan.
Moody pointed out that Donovan is a logical player for the Cardinals to keep this season. Although his performance at the plate dropped from his 2022 numbers, when he posted a 127 wRC+, he remained a valuable and versatile player in 2024. He hit .278 with a .759 OPS, a 115 wRC+, and achieved a career-high 3.2 fWAR, more than doubling his total from the previous year.
However, the Cardinals will also need to consider the future. By 2026, they could have several younger infield prospects, such as Masyn Winn, Nolan Gorman, JJ Wetherholt (ranked 24th overall by Just Baseball), and Thomas Saggese (ranked 100th), all vying for major league at-bats. Additionally, outfield prospects like Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson, Victor Scott, and Lars Nootbaar could further complicate roster decisions. With so many younger options, the Cardinals may look to trade the nearly 28-year-old Donovan while he still holds significant trade value.
Although a trade for Donovan seems unlikely, Moody suggests it is a plausible idea.
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