The St. Louis Cardinals are gearing up for an important week in Orlando as the Winter Meetings begin, with several major decisions on the horizon.
They’ve placed a steep price tag on All-Star second baseman Brendan Donovan, whose trade could net them a strong return of pitching prospects.
In their search for young, controllable starting pitching, it appears Chaim Bloom may be ready to make an aggressive move. John Denton of MLB.com suggested that St. Louis could pursue a top pitching talent from the Seattle Mariners in a potential deal involving Donovan.
Cardinals Can Make Big Splash With Possible Donovan Trade
“Because the Cardinals aren’t likely to be World Series contenders again until at least 2027 or ’28, they’d be smart to deal Donovan while his value is at its peak. The Mariners will surrender Bryan Woo?” Denton wrote.
Woo would be tough to acquire from the Mariners, as he has been one of their top starters over the past few seasons. This year, he won 15 games and posted a 2.94 ERA while also recording 198 strikeouts over 186 ⅔ innings pitched.
The 25-year-old was an All-Star this year. He isn’t a free agent until 2030 and brings swing-and-miss to a rotation. He has the kind of makeup that the Cardinals are looking for.
If the Cardinals do send Donovan to Seattle, Woo would be a good target. They’ll have to sell high on their own All-Star, but the Mariners have the starting pitching depth that they would want in order to make a deal.
Woo could be a solid replacement for Sonny Gray, who was just traded to the Boston Red Sox last week. The Cardinals could use a young pitcher to lead their rotation as they begin their rebuild, and Woo would be somebody that they could build around for several years.
Chaim Bloom has already been bold with some of his moves, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make another bold move that helps the Cardinals strengthen their future.
The Cardinals may be rebuilding, but they could also benefit from adding pieces, and Bloom seems willing to do that as the Winter Meetings approach. We’ll see what he has up his sleeve.
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