The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals have been two of the more active teams on the trade market this offseason. St. Louis sent stars to Boston early on, then followed that up by dealing Willson Contreras to the Red Sox a few weeks later.
Both veterans should strengthen Boston’s roster, but the Red Sox may not be finished making moves before Opening Day. It’s possible these two clubs could continue working together.
Curt Bishop of St. Louis Cardinals OnSI proposed another potential deal that would send Brendan Donovan to Boston in exchange for pitcher Brayan Bello and prospect David Sandlin.
Bishop noted that Boston has already shown a willingness to trade Major League–ready players in its previous deals with St. Louis. While the Cardinals added MLB-ready arms in Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins, Bishop suggested they could target a more established pitcher through a trade with the Red Sox.
Sandlin, meanwhile, impressed at Double-A Portland, posting a 5–4 record across 13 starts and four relief outings before earning a promotion to Triple-A Worcester. His versatility could provide valuable pitching depth for the Cardinals.
A deal like this could make sense for Boston if the team plans to pursue another starting pitcher, such as Freddy Peralta or Seth Lugo. Otherwise, moving Bello might be too high a cost for Donovan alone.
Even so, the proposed trade has logical value. Donovan would fit well as a utility player in Boston, capable of handling corner outfield roles and multiple infield positions, and he could see consistent playing time in the Red Sox lineup.
