The 2025 trade deadline may have offered a glimpse into the future direction of the St. Louis Cardinals.
After a promising start to the season, the team slipped back to a .500 record by July, prompting them to offload several veterans on expiring deals before Thursday’s deadline. With John Mozeliak set to pass the reins of baseball operations to Chaim Bloom at season’s end, more significant changes to the roster appear to be on the horizon.
The Cardinals are clearly transitioning toward a younger core, and the coming months will be telling in terms of who stays and who’s shown the door. Among the names to watch is first-time All-Star Brendan Donovan, who could be on the move this offseason.
Donovan, a versatile utility man with two years of team control remaining, wasn’t dealt at the deadline. However, FanSided’s Christopher Kline believes that could change soon, predicting the 28-year-old will be traded this winter as Bloom begins laying the groundwork for a long-term contender.
“Plenty of teams expressed interest in Donovan at the deadline, but the Cardinals understandably held on to a cost-controlled asset,” Kline wrote. “Still, with Donovan only under contract through 2027, and with St. Louis likely not contending again until after that point, it makes sense to cash in while his value is high.”
Donovan has quietly put together a solid season, posting a .756 OPS and 2.2 bWAR. While those numbers don’t scream perennial All-Star, his versatility and consistent approach make him an appealing option for contending teams. And at 28, he may not align with the Cardinals’ longer-term vision.
If Bloom sees an opportunity to maximize Donovan’s value in a trade, Kline’s forecast could quickly become reality.
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