MLB insider offers insight on Brendan Donovan's Cardinals future

Though the St. Louis Cardinals endured a disappointing 2025 season, utility player Brendan Donovan impressed on an individual level, earning his first All-Star selection.

With the Cardinals looking to rebuild their farm system, several stars could be on the move this winter. The versatile Donovan has reportedly attracted interest from a number of franchises.

On Friday's episode of "The Baseball Insiders" podcast, FanSided's Robert Murray offered insight on where he thinks Brendan Donovan's future lies.

"That is something I've checked on, and can confidently say, the Cardinals' stance is this - they are fielding calls on Brendan Donovan," Murray said (Timestamp: 17:19). "They are putting a very high asking price on him. They don't have to move him. That's something they've made pretty clear internally. They're placing that high asking price, and if nobody meets it, they are very comfortable holding on to him. Maybe that means trading him at the trade deadline. Or maybe it even means moving him next offseason. They can be very picky here. "I think (St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations) Chaim Bloom has done a really nice job in St. Louis so far, in getting the most out of these deals. I know people around the league who have really praised him for the work he's done. So, do I expect Donovan to be moved? It's still up in the air at the moment. But unless some team ends up going out and blowing him away with an offer, then they will keep him in St. Louis and he will report to Spring Training for them next month."

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"His value is unlikely to crater" - Insider explains why holding the line on Brendan Donovan's asking price is the right move

On Dec. 25, ESPN's Jeff Passan was asked if Brendan Donovan's asking price had come down, during an exchange with a fan on Threads.

Responding, Passan confirmed there was no change, and why holding the line was the right move on the St. Louis Cardinals' part.

"Nope. And it's not going to. The Cardinals do not need to trade Brendan Donovan," Passan posted. "They can move him at the deadline. They can move him next winter. His consistency is among his best attributes, and his value is unlikely to crater between now and then. So Chaim Bloom should do exactly what he's doing: set an extremely high price and know that teams valuing flexibility will continue wanting him."

MLB: JUN 04 Cardinals at Astros - Source: Getty

Donovan is still under team control for two more years.

Edited by Raghav Mehta