Cardinals Notes: Nootbaar, Cameron, Pitching
As one of the few teams in baseball in true rebuild mode, the Cardinals are open to offers on most players on their roster, yet some of the Cards’ most-cited trade candidates may be a little more available than others. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears from sources on rival teams that the Cardinals don’t seem to be “actively seeking to trade” outfielder Lars Nootbaar. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Nootbaar won’t be dealt, of course, but there are also some obvious reasons why the Cardinals might want to wait until beyond this offseason to move the 28-year-old.
Injuries have been a subplot of Nootbaar’s career, and while he hit new career highs in games played (135) and plate appearances (583) in 2025, he underwent surgery in October on both of his heels. The surgery was meant to address Haglund’s deformities, which are bone spurs that develop on the heel bone near the base of the Achilles tendon. It seems likely that playing through this discomfort led to Nootbaar’s underwhelming numbers in 2025, and it isn’t yet known if the recovery from the procedure will allow Nootbaar to be ready for Opening Day.
Between the health question mark and Nootbaar’s 96 wRC+ (from 13 homers and a .234/.325/.361 slash line), St. Louis would probably be selling low if Nootbaar was traded this winter. As such, it makes sense that the Cardinals would hang onto Nootbaar for now and see if he’s able to bounce back in the first half of the 2026 season, so a trade deadline move might be more realistic.
Trading Sonny Gray to the Red Sox cleared $20MM off of the Cardinals’ payroll ledger for 2026, and the team would also save a lot of money if Nolan Arenado or Willson Contreras were traded. There isn’t any similar financial pressure involved with a potential Nootbaar trade, as he is projected to earn $5.7MM this winter in the second of three trips through the arbitration process. That extra year of control gives the Cards more flexibility in allowing Nootbaar to get fully healthy before more properly shopping him to any interested teams.
President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has been open about his team’s desire to add starting pitching, whether it’s younger arms or (likely on short-term deals) more experienced hurlers. The Gray trade brought Richard Fitts and prospect Brandon Clarke into the fold, and St. Louis is expected to seek out more pitchers in other trades or in free agency. Whether or not the Cards explore free agent pitchers will hinge on what they can land on the trade front, Goold writes, so it may be yet be a while before the Cardinals look too deeply at signings given how much interest they’re getting in their various trade chips.
Other teams’ trade endeavors could also delay matters. For instance, Goold notes that some teams interested in Brendan Donovan for their second base vacancy also have interest in the Rays’ Brandon Lowe or even the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte. If one of those players is dealt elsewhere, that eliminates one Donovan suitor, but also puts more pressure on other interested teams to up their offers to St. Louis in order to land a second baseman (though Donovan’s versatility also doesn’t limit his market just to keystone-needy teams).
Perhaps related to both the Cardinals’ pitching search and the Royals’ known interest in Donovan, Goold reports that the Cards “have had interest before in” Kansas City’s Noah Cameron. The 26-year-old southpaw is coming off an impressive debut season that saw Cameron finish fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting after posting a 2.99 ERA over 138 1/3 innings.
Between Cameron’s ability and multiple remaining years of team control, it would take a whole lot to pry the left-hander away from the Royals. While K.C. president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo has discussed his team’s openness to trading from its pitching depth for much-needed outfield help, Cameron would likely be one of the last arms the Royals would prefer to move. That said, adding a real impact bat to the lineup might require an impact pitcher in return, and Donovan’s market has been so crowded that the Royals might make to make a special offer to break away from the pack.
Mariners Among Teams Interested In Brendan Donovan
As the Cardinals navigate the early stages of a rebuild under new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan stands as perhaps the most appealing trade commodity on the St. Louis roster. The Mariners spent much of last offseason trying to pry Donovan loose from the Cardinals (under then-president of baseball ops John Mozeliak), and they’ve once again approached the Cards to express interest in coming together on a trade involving Donovan, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times.
Donovan, 29 in January, turned in a sharp .287/.353/.422 batting line in 2025 — about 19% better than league-average performance, by measure of wRC+. He popped 10 homers in 515 plate appearances, piled up 32 doubles, walked at an 8.2% clip and struck out in only 13% of his plate appearances. It’s the fourth straight year of comparable hit-over-power and OBP-fueled offense for Donovan, who’s a lifetime .282/.361/.411 hitter in the majors. He’s walked at a 9.1% clip and fanned in just 13.5% of his 2006 MLB plate appearances dating back to 2022.
On top of Donovan’s generally strong output and impeccable bat-to-ball skills, he’s a gifted defender who can handle just about any position on the diamond. He’s played primarily second base and left field but has some decent experience at shortstop (106 innings), third base (270 innings), first base (151 innings) and in right field (205 innings).
For the Mariners, Donovan is an ideal fit. He can handle second base, third base or an outfield corner — all currently unsettled in Seattle at the moment. Prospects Cole Young and Colt Emerson are highly touted young players who could step up and solidify second base and/or third base, but Young struggled in his first 77 MLB games last year and Emerson is a 20-year-old who’s played all of six games at the Triple-A level thus far. Victor Robles is penciled into right field alongside Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodriguez, but Robles and Dominic Canzone could fill more part-time roles if Donovan is brought in and gets occasional work on the outfield grass.
Donovan also embodies the type of high-contact bat the Mariners have hoped to add in recent offseasons. The M’s had the second-highest strikeout rate of any MLB team in both 2023 and 2024. They dropped to seventh last year. Over the past five seasons, only the Angels (24.9%) have a higher team strikeout rate than the Mariners (24.7%). A full season of Josh Naylor helps to combat that, but 500-plus plate appearances from Donovan would give them a pair of premium contact bats at or near the top of the lineup.
Of course, Donovan’s versatility, production and affordability make him an ideal fit for the majority of contending teams seeking to upgrade their lineup this offseason. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a $5.4MM salary for Donovan next year. He’ll be owed a raise on that heading into 2027 — his final season of club control (barring an extension between now and then). Any team acquiring Donovan would do so knowing that they can have him for something in the rough vicinity of $15MM total through 2027. It’s an unmitigated bargain, but that also means he’ll come with a lofty asking price. The Mariners, with one of MLB’s top farm systems, are well-equipped to make a compelling offer.
Katie Woo of The Athletic wrote this week that the Cardinals are only inclined to trade Donovan if they’re blown away by an offer they don’t think they can refuse. Interest in Donovan is so high, however, that Woo suggests such an offer is likely to materialize. Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN offered similar sentiments yesterday, writing that while the Cards “are not eager” to make the move, Donovan’s market is “percolating” and an eventual trade seems likelier than not.
In addition to the Mariners, Donovan is known to have drawn interest from the Pirates, Astros, Guardians and Royals. That’s surely just a fraction of the clubs to have reached out to the Cardinals regarding Donovan. The Dodgers, Yankees and Blue Jays were all tied to Donovan last offseason and/or at this past summer’s trade deadline.
Cardinals Notes: Donovan, Gorman, Nootbaar, Burleson, Pirates, Pitching
Brendan Donovan has been drawing as much trade interest as any player in baseball, owing both to Donovan’s value as a left-handed hitter with defensive versatility and to the Cardinals’ rebuilding status. The Astros, Pirates, Royals, and Guardians have been publicly linked to Donovan’s trade market, and with these and more clubs in pursuit of the All-Star, the timing seems right for the Cards to cash in while Donovan’s value is at its peak.
That said, St. Louis isn’t required to move Donovan this offseason, since he still has two seasons remaining of arbitration eligibility. As The Athletic’s Katie Woo frames the situation, if the Cards can’t find the big return they want for Donovan, the team “will pivot to moving at least one of” Lars Nootbaar or Nolan Gorman. In another piece from Woo, Will Sammon, and Ken Rosenthal, Alec Burleson is another player the Cardinals won’t move “unless…blown away by an offer.”
All four of these hitters mentioned are lefty-swingers, so trading any of them would help balance out the St. Louis lineup and perhaps clear some room for another left-handed hitter in shortstop prospect JJ Wetherholt. Since Masyn Winn is an elite defensive shortstop, the Cardinals’ plan for Wetherholt seems to be to break him into the big leagues as a second or third baseman, so moving Donovan or Gorman in particular would clear a path in that regard. Trading Nolan Arenado would obviously also open up third base, though Arenado’s contract and no-trade protection makes moving him a trickier proposition than any of these other players, even though Arenado has expressed more of an openness to be dealt than he did last winter.
On the surface, the Cardinals’ stance is obvious. Donovan and Burleson were both much more productive than Gorman or Nootbaar in 2025, so naturally the latter two players seem to have less of a role in the Cards’ future plans. Formerly a top prospect in his own right, Gorman seemed to be figuring things out with a 27-homer season in 2023, but he has hit just .204/.284/.385 with 33 homers in 804 plate appearances over the last two seasons, with a whopping 287 strikeouts underlying Gorman’s contact problems. Nootbaar had been a more consistent performer before his numbers fell off during an injury-plagued 2025 campaign. The biggest obstacle to a Nootbaar trade seems to be his health, as he may not be ready for Opening Day following surgery to correct Haglund’s deformities on both his heels.
Moving Gorman or Nootbaar would obviously bring back less of a trade return than Donovan or Burleson. The Rangers were one team known to have interest in Nootbaar before word of his surgery became public, and the club’s subsequent trade for Brandon Nimmo would seemingly indicate that Texas has moved on from Nootbaar. The Pirates have shown interest in all of Nootbaar, Gorman, and Donovan, and Woo reports that Pittsburgh has also asked the team about Burleson.
Donovan and Nootbaar are controlled through the 2027 season, while Gorman and Burleson are arbitration-eligible for just the first time this winter and won’t be eligible free agency until the 2028-29 offseason. Burleson is coming off the best of his four MLB seasons, as he won Silver Slugger honors (from the NL utility position) after hitting .290/.343/.459 with 18 home runs over 546 PA in 2025. Burleson split his time between first base and both corner outfield slots this year, and while he is only passable defensively, his ability to play multiple positions gives the Cardinals some lineup flexibility. The appeal is obvious for a Pirates team looking for help all over the diamond, and for offensive help in general.
While the two NL Central rivals have rarely lined up on trades over the last few decades, the Pirates’ young pitching depth carries obvious trade appeal to a St. Louis team looking to restock their system with such arms. This week’s trade of Sonny Gray to the Red Sox not only cleared $20M off the Cardinals’ books, but it brought back pitchers who can help the Cards in 2026 (Richard Fitts) and further in the future (prospect Brandon Clarke).
Speaking with Woo, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold and other reporters after the trade, Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said his team is aiming to add more pitching over the course of its offseason moves. This could include more experienced arms to eat innings and act as mentors to the younger hurlers, though Bloom indicated that such veterans might be more shorter-term additions.
“Not to put them in the way of any of our youth, but to make sure we have the right insulation up and down that rotation,” Bloom said. “We want to create some competition. We want to make sure we have options. And that we allow our young guys to flourish while making sure that next wave that we hope is coming doesn’t get pressed into service before it’s their time. We want to make sure they’re ready for the highest level of baseball before we throw them into the fire. So we will look to add to our rotation — whether it’s more youth or a veteran — as the winter goes on.”
Latest On Pirates’ Offseason Pursuits
The Pirates are looking to upgrade their offense for next year and are seemingly casting a wide net. They reportedly made a run at Josh Naylor before he re-signed with the Mariners and have been connected to free agent Kyle Schwarber. Per a report from Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic, they are also considering free agents such as Jorge Polanco, Kazuma Okamoto and Ryan O’Hearn. They have also checked in with the Cardinals about trade candidates Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman.
It’s been a long time since the Pirates have been big players in the offseason but recent reporting has suggested they could be more active this winter, at least relatively speaking. No one is expecting them to suddenly be a player for someone like Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette but there is some smoke suggesting they could push things further than in the past. They’ve still never given a free agent a guarantee larger than the three years and $39MM they gave to Francisco Liriano over a decade ago. Their most recent multi-year deal for a free agent was two years for Ivan Nova in 2016.
It’s a low bar to clear but it’s possible the Bucs set new benchmarks in those categories. Per The Athletic, it’s possible that is related to the upcoming expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement. The CBA is up just over a year from now and teams may want to look like they are spending their revenue sharing money, in order to keep receiving it in the next CBA. However, the report suggests this is likely more of an issue for the Marlins than the Bucs since Pittsburgh got their competitive balance tax number over $105MM in 2025. That was the target for the A’s in 2025 as they looked to increase their CBT number in order to avoid a grievance from the MLBPA.
Even if the CBA stuff isn’t relevant, there are plenty of straightforward baseball reasons for the Pirates to get more aggressive. They haven’t made the postseason since 2015 and haven’t finished above .500 since 2018. They have a strong collection of controllable and affordable starting pitchers. The group is headlined by Paul Skenes, who is controlled for four more seasons, but he’s just a year away from arbitration and the associated salary increases. Konnor Griffin is considered by some to be the top prospect in the sport right now. He reached Double-A this year and could make his big league debut in 2026, even though he doesn’t turn 20 years old until April.
Put it all together and there’s a good case that now is the time to strike. Upgrading the offense is an obvious goal. The team had a collective .231/.305/.350 batting line in 2025. That resulted in an 82 wRC+, putting them ahead of just the Rockies among MLB clubs. Spencer Horwitz was the only guy on the team to post a wRC+ higher than 101. They have a lot of work to do but a lot of ways they can add.
Polanco has spent many years as a strong bat who can play the infield. He had an injury-marred 2024 but bounced back with the Mariners in 2025. He hit 26 home runs and slashed .265/.326/.495 for a 132 wRC. Early in the year, the Mariners frequently kept him in the designated hitter slot, as it seemed he wasn’t 100% recovered from his knee surgery. However, later in the year, he was playing second base fairly regularly.
MLBTR predicted Polanco could secure a three-year, $42MM deal this offseason. That would surpass the aforementioned Liriano deal, but only barely. The Bucs have Horwitz at first base but their infield is fairly open apart from that. As mentioned, Griffin coming up in 2026 to take over shortstop is a possibility but probably not something to be banked on today. Otherwise, Pittsburgh has a cluster of multi-positional infield guys like Jared Triolo, Nick Gonzales, Nick Yorke, Tsung-Che Cheng and Enmanuel Valdéz.
Polanco would be an obvious upgrade over the guys in that cluster, who could each end up in utility roles or optioned to the minors. However, he’s sure to have interest elsewhere. For instance, the Mariners are known to want to bring him back.
O’Hearn wouldn’t be as smooth of a fit. He’s best suited to be a first baseman, where the Bucs have Horwitz. The designated hitter spot is open right now, though it’s possible the Pirates and Andrew McCutchen circle back to each other later. O’Hearn can play a bit of outfield and the Bucs do have room there next to Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, so perhaps there’s a way to make it work.
He is coming off a three-year run wherein he slashed .277/.343/.445 for a 121 wRC+. That’s a strong stretch but he’s a tad on the older side for a position player free agent since he’s 32. MLBTR predicted he could secure a two-year, $26MM deal. If that proves to be correct, the Bucs wouldn’t even have to stretch into uncharted waters to get it done.
Okamoto is a bit more of a wild card since he’s coming over from Japan and isn’t proven as a major leaguer but reports suggest he should be a viable big league bat. He hit at least 27 home runs in seven straight seasons of Nippon Professional Baseball from 2018 to 2024. In 2025, he was limited by injury to just 69 games but still hit 15 homers and slashed .327/.416/.598 for a 210 wRC+. There are mixed opinions about whether he can stick at third base or if he’s destined to move to first.
MLBTR predicted him to land a four-year, $64MM deal. The signing club will also owe a posting fee to the Yomiuri Giants, relative to the size of the guarantee. If he does secure a $64MM deal, the posting fee would be $11.5MM. Put those two figures together and the Bucs might have to double their commitment to Liriano to get something done here.
As for the guys in St. Louis, the Cardinals are known to be entering a rebuilding phase. They kicked things off by dealing Sonny Gray to the Red Sox today, the first of several seller moves expected from that club this offseason. Donovan and Nootbaar are each controlled for another two years. Assuming the Cards don’t expect to return to contention in that window, it makes sense to listen on both. Gorman is controlled for three more seasons but is also less established as a viable big leaguer, so the Cards probably aren’t clinging to him too tightly.
Since he is a strong hitter and can play multiple positions, Donovan makes sense as a target for almost every team. He’s already been publicly connected to the Astros, Royals and Guardians but that’s presumably not an exhaustive list of his suitors. He has hit .282/.361/.411 for a 119 wRC+ in his career while playing all four infield spots and the outfield corners. He underwent sports hernia surgery at the end of the 2025 season but is expected to be fine by spring training.
Nootbaar doesn’t have Donovan’s versatility, as he’s just an outfielder. His bat is enticing but he’s coming off a down year and his health status is more questionable. From 2022 to 2024, he slashed .246/.351/.426 for a wRC+ of 118. In 2025, he dropped to a .234/.325/.361 line and 96 wRC+. He recently underwent surgery to shave down Haglund’s deformities on both heels and may not be fully recuperated by the start of 2026.
Gorman has real power and can take his walks but also has problems with strikeouts. He has 74 home runs in his 1,581 plate appearances but has also been punched out at an untenable 34% clip. Since the start of 2024, he has a .204/.284/.385 line and 87 wRC+. He has mostly played second base but has had a lot of time at third as well, in addition to brief showings at first and in left field.
Donovan is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to make just $5.4MM next year, with Nootbaar projected for $5.7MM and Gorman $2.9MM. That makes them all more affordable than the free agent options but the Bucs would also have to send prospects the other way.
It can sometimes be difficult to pull off trades among teams who share a division but the Bucs don’t seem to mind. They recently lined up a notable deal with the Reds, sending Ke’Bryan Hayes to Cincinnati ahead of the deadline. If the Cards aren’t going to contend for the next few years, perhaps they wouldn’t be bothered if their former players are in Pittsburgh during that window.
Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images
Latest On Cardinals’ Offseason Plans
With Chaim Bloom now officially at the helm of the Cardinals’ baseball operations department, the rebuilding phase that the team has been expected to undergo since it was announced that Bloom would take over for John Mozeliak this offseason now looks likely to begin in earnest. That means exploring possibilities on the trade market, and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals told agents during the GM Meetings this past week that their interest in at least some free agents will hinge on the team’s ability to clear salary in trades.
The big name so far in this winter’s rumor mill has been super utility man Brendan Donovan. Donovan has already been connected to Royals, Guardians, and Astros with other teams expected to be involved as well. Robust as the market for the 28-year-old’s services appears to be, clearing his salary (which MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects to land at $5.4MM in 2026) off the books won’t do much for the team’s bottom line. Of course, Donovan is far from the only name on the trade market from St. Louis. Six Cardinals appeared on MLBTR’s list of the Top 40 Trade Candidates for this offseason.
That includes three veterans making significant money: right-hander Sonny Gray, third baseman Nolan Arenado, and catcher-turned-first baseman Willson Contreras. Ownership is reportedly willing to include cash in trades of higher priced veterans, and the club’s trio of veterans with no-trade clauses have all expressed a willingness to be more lax with their no-trade protections than they were last winter. Goold writes that the Cardinals are “actively seeking “fits”” for both Arenado and Gray on the trade market. That’s hardly a surprise between St. Louis’s efforts to move Arenado all throughout last winter and the $40MM payout that Gray is guaranteed between his $35MM salary in 2026 and a $5MM buyout on his 2027 option.
Even if some salary is retained, moving Gray and Arenado would open up the club’s finances considerably. RosterResource projects the Cardinals for a $124MM payroll in 2026. While that’s down about $20MM from last year and nearly $40MM from two years ago, ownership and the front office have been candid about the plan to scale back payroll in recent years. If trading both Gray and Arenado can clear $30MM to $40MM off the Cardinals’ books this year, however, that should give them a lot more flexibility when perusing free agency for short-term upgrades who could either help the club compete next year or become trade chips themselves over the summer.
Notably absent from Goold’s roundup of rumors is Contreras. That’s an interesting development, as Contreras would likely be the easiest of the three to move in theory. With that being said, he’s also the one most hesitant to waive his no-trade protection. While he’s indicated he would be willing to consider possible trades, his preference remains to stay in St. Louis and serve as a veteran leader in a clubhouse that figures to get a lot younger as the team retools the roster. A surprise trade of Contreras could lessen the pressure to move both Gray and Arenado or open up even more possibilities on the trade market for St. Louis, but it’s fair to expect that the Cardinals will spend most of their energy on trying to move the veterans most willing to waive their no-trade clauses.
Looking beyond the club’s pricey veterans, Donovan is joined by players like Lars Nootbaar and JoJo Romero as potential trade chips Goold writes that the Cardinals told rival clubs they were willing to listen on. Goold notes all three of those players are within two years of free agency, a fact that’s also true of both Gray and Arenado. The only other players with less than three years of team control remaining in the organization are John King, who was reportedly a trade candidate over the summer, and post-deadline waiver claim Jorge Alcala. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see King’s name come back up in the rumor mill at some point, though Alcala seems unlikely to have any real trade value after posting an ERA north of 6.00 this past year.
In terms of the return for the players they look to deal, Goold adds that the Cardinals have made clear to rival clubs that they’re prioritizing pitching help and looking towards the future. Kansas City and Cleveland, as previously mentioned, are already known to be in the mix for Donovan and have the sort of young, controllable pitching available that could intrigue the Cardinals. The same could be true of teams like the Yankees and Dodgers who have previously expressed interest in Donovan as well. One intriguing fit could be with the Pirates.
In-division trades typically aren’t especially common, but Pittsburgh GM Ben Cherington has shown himself to be comfortable dealing with the Cardinals in the past, such as when the sides came together on a trade involving Jose Quintana and Johan Oviedo at the 2022 trade deadline. The Pirates have plenty of young pitching and are in need of help in the outfield that both Donovan and Nootbaar could potentially provide. Bloom’s old stomping grounds of Boston also have a rich collection of young pitching, though their existing glut of left-handed outfield talent could make them a less than ideal fit for someone like Donovan and especially Nootbaar.
Astros Interested In Brendan Donovan
The Astros are back in the mix for Brendan Donovan, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. That’s not surprising, as Houston’s interest in the St. Louis utility player has dated back to at least the trade deadline.
Donovan is an obvious target. The Astros skew very right-handed. They tried to balance the lineup with the deadline trade for Jesús Sánchez from the Marlins. Sánchez was terrible down the stretch and is probably going to be traded or non-tendered within the next week. That leaves the Astros with only Yordan Alvarez as an everyday left-handed bat. Rookie outfielders Zach Cole or Jacob Melton could play their way into the mix, but it’s clear that adding a lefty hitter will be a priority.
There are few better ones known to be available in trade than Donovan. The 28-year-old (29 in January) is coming off a .287/.353/.422 slash across 515 plate appearances. He’s a career .282/.361/.411 hitter over four seasons. Donovan has enough power for 10-15 home runs and 30+ doubles, while he’s a safe bet to hit for average because of his excellent contact skills. Like most lefty hitters, he’s far better against right-handed pitching, but he has reached base at a reasonable .325 clip against southpaws in his career. He fits at the top of a lineup against righties and is playable if unspectacular against same-handed pitchers.
[Related: Top 40 Trade Candidates]
Donovan has the multi-positional versatility to fit any number of teams. He’s already been linked to the Guardians and Royals this offseason. The Yankees and Dodgers have shown interest in the past. MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk examined various other possibilities last month. Houston would use him mostly at his natural second base position, where they don’t really have an everyday player. They’re still planning to move Jose Altuve between second and left field, where he and Alvarez would divide time when the other isn’t at designated hitter. Donovan can play both corner outfield positions as well, and some teams could feel he’s capable of holding his own at either spot on the left side of the infield.
The Cardinals are committing to a retool under first-year president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. Donovan is down to his last two seasons of club control. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $5.4MM salary. That’ll likely jump into the $8-10MM range for 2027. There’s no indication the Cards will seriously pursue an extension, so an offseason trade seems likely given the amount of interest they’ll receive from teams currently in contention windows. Among their realistic trade candidates (i.e. not including Masyn Winn), Donovan has the best chance of netting an impactful prospect return.
Royals, Guardians Among Teams Interested In Brendan Donovan
Cardinals infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan figures to be one of the most sought after trade candidates this offseason. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Royals and Guardians are two of the clubs interested in acquiring him. Goold also mentions that the Yankees and Dodgers had interest prior to the deadline, which perhaps indicates they would be interested again.
Donovan, 29 in January, has a strong major league track record. He has appeared in 492 games and stepped to the plate 2,006 times. His 9.1% walk rate is solid while his 13.5% strikeout rate is much better than par. He has slashed .282/.361/.411 for a 119 wRC+, indicating he’s been 19% better than league average overall. He has also bounced around the diamond, having played all four infield positions as well as the outfield corners.
He is now two years from free agency. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $5.4MM salary in 2026. He’ll be due a raise in 2027 before hitting the open market. The Cards are reportedly planning to engage in a multi-year rebuild and likely won’t be competitive in Donovan’s window of control.
Today, a report from Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic says the Cards are willing to entertain offers on many of their players but would prefer to hold Alec Burleson and Iván Herrera. Burleson is controlled for three more seasons and Herrera four. That perhaps gives some insight into what the Cards are envisioning as their rebuilding timeline.
That situation alone makes Donovan a trade candidate but there’s also the club’s broader infield picture to consider. Infielder JJ Wetherholt is one of the top prospects in the sport and is knocking on the door of the majors. Masyn Winn, controlled for four more years, is a strong glove-first shortstop. Wetherholt is also a shortstop but his defense is not at Winn’s level, so he’s likely to be moved to second or third base. The Cards also have Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Nolan Gorman and Thomas Saggese in the mix for playing time at those spots.
Arenado and Gorman are coming off some poor seasons and don’t have huge trade value right now. That’s especially true for Arenado, considering his contract, which features a large salary and a no-trade clause. Trading Donovan is the best path for the Cards to both recoup some meaningful young talent, likely on the pitching side, while also freeing up more playing time for others.
President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom admitted to Goold this week that he would likely be focused on acquiring rotation options. That could be controllable young guys or even veterans to eat innings. That will be especially true if they trade Sonny Gray, who is getting interest.
“We’ve definitely been listening on him,” Bloom said. “And definitely, as you would imagine, any time you have a good player, you’re probably going to get some attention and people who are interested. That’s not a surprise. He’s still one of the better pitchers in the league. We value him very highly. Just where we are and thinking long term, we’ve talked to him and we feel there might be something that makes sense. We’ll continue to explore that.”
Without Gray, the projected rotation includes Andre Pallante, Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy and Kyle Leahy. Even a rebuilding club will want to do better than that. Bloom also spoke of a desire to add a veteran or two to the bullpen, though that would likely come via free agency rather than trade.
Given Donovan’s defensive flexibility, he could make sense for almost any contending club, but the Royals are certainly a good fit. “Right now we don’t have somebody who can play infield and right field, and that’s something we’ve got to look at,” Royals president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo said to Goold, speaking generally, not of Donovan specifically. “If we had somebody who could go from the infield to the outfield that’s very beneficial.”
The Royals have had problems in the outfield for years. In 2025, they got a collective .225/.285/.348 line from their outfielders. That resulted in a wRC+ of 73, dead last in the majors. Second base was also a problem this year. Jonathan India and Michael Massey were the primary options at the keystone. India hit .233/.323/.346 on the year for a wRC+ of 89. Massey was even worse, with a .244/.268/.313 line and 57 wRC+. India is going into his final arbitration season, with a projected $7.4MM salary. Massey is projected for just $2MM and can be controlled through 2028.
The payroll appears to be tight in Kansas City but moving on from India and replacing him with Donovan would actually save money. It would, however, require the Royals to give up something of value to the Cardinals. Thankfully, the Cards need controllable pitching more than anything and that’s something the Royals have. Kansas City currently projects to have a rotation of Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Kris Bubic and Michael Wacha. That leaves just one spot for Noah Cameron, Stephen Kolek, Ryan Bergert, Luinder Avila or Ben Kudrna.
Since pitching injuries are inevitable, the Royals would presumably prefer to hang onto that depth. However, without a lot of money to spend, there’s an argument for using those arms on the trade block to address their needs on the position player side. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that they are also looking for a left fielder and righty-swinging guy to platoon with Jac Caglianone.
Donovan swings from the left side and wouldn’t help with the latter need, though he could help in left field if he is acquired and either Massey, India or someone like Nick Loftin takes hold of the second base job. Some righty platoon bats who wouldn’t break the bank include Lane Thomas, Miguel Andujar, Randal Grichuk, Austin Hays, Rob Refsnyder and Austin Slater .
The Guards are also a sensible fit. Similar to the Royals, they have been struggling to get strong production from their outfield. As mentioned, the Royals had the worst outfield production in the league in 2025. The Guards were barely above them on that list with a .225/.288/.341 line and 77 wRC+. Second base was also a weak spot, with Brayan Rocchio and Daniel Schneemann getting most of the playing time this year. Rocchio finished the season with a .233/.290/.340 line and 77 wRC+, with Schneemann posting a .206/.283/.354 line and 79 wRC+.
For both the outfield and second base, there are some potential in-house solutions. Travis Bazzana, one of the club’s top prospects, is a second baseman who is closing in on his major league debut. In the outfield, Chase DeLauter and George Valera both got late promotions in 2025. Given Donovan’s versatility, he could move around the field depending on which of those young guys are healthy and productive. His modest projected salary is also an obvious highlight for a low-spending club like the Guardians.
There’s often an abundance of controllable pitching depth in Cleveland but that’s less the case than usual right now. Their rotation was middling in 2025, but they did just bolster their pipeline by adding Khal Stephen in the Shane Bieber trade.
For the Yankees and Dodgers, their situations have changed since their reported interest in Donovan in July. The Yanks grabbed Ryan McMahon from the Rockies ahead of the deadline, moving Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second. They could still fit Donovan in the outfield but they will probably try to reunite with Cody Bellinger and/or Trent Grisham, while perhaps pursuing Kyle Tucker as well.
The Dodgers, they had Max Muncy on the injured list in July and Tommy Edman was banged up as well. Muncy got healthy by the end of the year. Edman recently underwent surgery to address his ankle and should be good to go by spring training. Both Edman and Donovan are capable of playing both second base and the outfield, so perhaps there’s a way they can co-exist. Donovan’s two-year window of control would line up with recent reporting that the Dodgers might look for a short-term outfield solution since they have so many prospects on the way. Donovan could fit into that plan but the Dodgers could also target more of a straightforward outfielder.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry, Imagn Images
Looking For A Match In A Brendan Donovan Trade
With the Cardinals now embarking on a full rebuild period, it might be surprising if Brendan Donovan is still on the St. Louis roster by Opening Day. With two years of arbitration control remaining over Donovan, the Cards don’t necessarily have to move him this winter, as they could wait until the trade deadline or even next offseason if the offers just aren’t up to par over the next four months. But, it’s hard to imagine that Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom will be short on intriguing trade offers for Donovan considering how many boxes the former All-Star checks off for potential suitors.
Age? Donovan turns 29 in January. Salary? Donovan is projected to earn $5.4MM in his second trip through the arbitration process, so his total cost over his two remaining arb years should fall within the $14MM-$15MM range at most. Offense? Donovan has a career 119 wRC+ from his .282/.361/.411 slash line and 40 home runs, and he has been one of the game’s most difficult players to strike out during his four MLB seasons. Defense? He won the NL Gold Glove for utility players in 2022, and Donovan has been at least serviceable at multiple positions (all four infield spots and the two corner outfield spots) while playing primarily at second base and left field.
There are a couple of downsides to acknowledge, such as Donovan’s career splits (.812 OPS against right-handed pitching, .651 OPS against left-handed pitching). Some teams may view the left-handed hitting Donovan primarily as a strong-side platoon player more than a true everyday player. Even the Cardinals limited his exposure to southpaws, both as a function of these splits and because the Cards also wanted to get some playing time to their right-handed bats.
Donovan’s injury history includes a UCL brace procedure that cost him the last two months of the 2023 season and a sports hernia surgery just from earlier this month, as Donovan spent some time on the injured list this season with some groin problems. While sports hernia procedures are usually pretty straight-forward and Donovan is expected to be fine for the start of Spring Training, rival clubs might be more inclined to wait until a bit later into the offseason (or at least past the Winter Meetings) just to ensure that Donovan is fully ready to go. This means that some teams might acquire other players in the interim that will take them out of the market for Donovan’s services.
Rebuilding teams like the White Sox, Rockies, Nationals, and Twins can be reasonably ruled out, as none have any pressing reason to try and win the bidding war for Donovan’s services. Beyond this group, just about every other team in baseball is at least a somewhat plausible fit for Donovan, so let’s break this down team by team…
If Only They Were In Another Division…
Since the start of the 2004 season, St. Louis has made six total trades with the Brewers, Reds, Pirates, and Cubs. Three of those deals were low-level player-for-cash transactions. None of these trades happened on Bloom’s watch, and he’s not going to hang up the phone if any of these NL Central teams made a very compelling offer. But, history suggests that Donovan won’t be shipped to one of the Cardinals’ division opponents, even though he’d fit in with any of this quartet. The Pirates and Reds in particular have big offensive needs and young pitching on offer, Donovan would nicely bolster Milwaukee’s infield picture, and even the Cubs could deploy Donovan at third base or in the outfield.
Less Likely Suitors
Some readers may be surprised to see the Marlins outside of the list of rebuilding teams, but Miami isn’t quite in that category following a 79-win season. It’s still hard to see the Fish making a bolder move like a Donovan trade even if they are nearing the end of their capital-R Rebuild period, since the Marlins probably still aren’t at the stage where they’d trade away prospects for more experienced talent.
The Red Sox, Orioles, Tigers, and Mets all have some questions to answer with their position-player mix, but these teams are already pretty heavy on left-handed hitters. Other trades could potentially alter the equation, but chances are these four teams will seek out right-handed bats before looking to add another prominent lefty-swinger. The Diamondbacks are mostly in the same boat, though there’s a sliver of a chance Donovan could be acquired to play third base, if Arizona wanted to give Jordan Lawlar more seasoning or if Lawlar was perhaps himself dealt to address other needs (i.e. pitching).
The Astros are badly in need of left-handed hitters and had interest in Donovan at this past trade deadline, but that was before Houston further crowded its lineup picture by reuniting with Carlos Correa. Between Correa, Jeremy Pena, Jose Altuve, Isaac Paredes, Christian Walker, Cam Smith in right field, Yordan Alvarez as the primary DH, there isn’t really anywhere for Donovan to get regular at-bats, unless the Astros perhaps dealt Paredes or Walker to make room.
Maybe, After Another Trade Is Made?
Nick Allen is a superb defender who can’t hit, so the Braves are another team that could give Donovan a longer look at shortstop. Right field is also a plausible part-time position for Donovan in Atlanta, as he can spell Ronald Acuna Jr. once in a while when Acuna gets a DH day. The most intriguing position would be second base and Donovan is an upgrade over Ozzie Albies, yet the Braves would first have to trade Albies to clear out the keystone. Some of the teams interested in Donovan would also probably have interest in Albies, but it would be harder for the Braves to pull off the two-step of first moving Albies and then convincing the Cardinals to send Donovan their way before any other suitors pounced.
The Rays are in a bit of a similar situation with Brandon Lowe, another trade candidate owed $11.5MM in his final year of team control. Tampa Bay would probably prefer to first deal Lowe to open up second base as Donovan’s primary spot, but the Rays could also use Donovan at shortstop and in the outfield (or even at first base if Yandy Diaz is traded).
The Guardians’ biggest priority this winter should be finding hitting of any kind, and Donovan is also the kind of versatile contact hitter that the Guards love. The issue is that the Guards already have a lot of left-handed or switch-hitters. Cleveland could attempt multiple trades by dealing from its left-handed or infield depth for a righty hitter and then shooting for Donovan, but just obtaining a couple of right-handed bats full stop seems like a smoother fit.
Donovan’s Past Trade Suitors
Since we’ve mentioned Houston’s past interest in Donovan, let’s devote this space to five other teams who have been linked to the All-Star over the years. Obviously many more teams than just this group have checked in with the Cardinals about Donovan, but these are the teams who have been specifically named as interested parties.
The Yankees have been linked to Donovan multiple times, as recently as this past trade deadline and as far back as the 2023-24 offseason. This track record of interest means that New York can’t be ruled out of Donovan’s market, yet some other moves have left the Yankees pretty heavy on left-handed hitting infielders — Ryan McMahon, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ben Rice all swing from the left side. That said, New York could use Donovan in left field if Jasson Dominguez isn’t viewed as ready for regular time, or Donovan could get some work at shortstop while Anthony Volpe recovers from shoulder surgery. Of all the positions Donovan has played at the MLB level, he has the least time at shortstop, with just 106 innings logged.
The Phillies and Dodgers were both reportedly interested in Donovan prior to this summer’s trade deadline. Donovan could slot in for Philadelphia at third base if Alec Bohm is moved or in either corner outfield spot, as some room will become open in the Phils’ outfield once Nick Castellanos is gone. Left field is the most logical space for Donovan in the Dodgers’ loaded lineup, but L.A. will probably be eager to bounce Donovan around to multiple positions for platoon or timeshare purposes.
The Blue Jays and Athletics each had some talks with the Cardinals about Donovan as far back at the 2022-23 offseason, when Donovan was just coming off his third-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Fast forward to this winter and each team still has a need. Toronto can slot Donovan into its multi-player platoon system at second base, third base, and the corner outfield spots. If Bo Bichette left in free agency, Donovan would likely become the Jays’ primary second baseman, with Andres Gimenez shifting over to take on the shortstop role.
The A’s have big lineup holes at second and third base, plus Donovan’s salary is a fit within the club’s limited budget. Perhaps the question here is whether or not the A’s would make this kind of “win-now” trade before the team moves to Las Vegas, and for a player like Donovan whose arbitration control doesn’t extend beyond the Athletics’ time in Sacramento.
The Cleanest Fits
The Angels had the highest team strikeout rate in baseball in 2025, were one of the league’s worst-hitting teams in general, their lineup is overloaded with right-handed hitters, and there are no clear candidates for either second or third base. All things considered, Donovan might fit better on the Angels than on any other club, though that probably isn’t surprising given how the Halos are struggling in so many departments. Unfortunately, the farm system is another of those thin departments, so Los Angeles will be hard-pressed to outbid other teams if it comes down to a prospect bidding war.
The Giants could make Donovan their new starting second baseman, while still using Casey Schmitt as a right-handed complement to shield Donovan against some southpaws. Heliot Ramos is another right-handed bat who is still San Francisco’s top choice in left field, but Donovan could easily get some time in both left and in the Giants’ wide-open right-field vacancy.
Highly-touted prospects Cole Young and Colt Emerson may be the future of the Mariners infield, and both are left-handed hitters like Donovan. However, a Seattle team in win-now mode might prefer to add Donovan to address its second base and third base needs in the present. Donovan’s two remaining arb years leaves the door open for Young and Emerson as longer-term options, and Donovan’s ability to play both infield spots would allow the Mariners to also give Young, Emerson (who has yet to make his MLB debut) or Ben Williamson some at-bats at the keystone or the hot corner.
With Luis Arraez entering free agency, the Padres will be looking for a new first baseman, or they could move Jake Cronenworth to from second base to first base. A Donovan trade would line up with that latter scenario, and while the Padres might not use Donovan’s versatility as much as other teams, he could still be shifted around the diamond when any of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., or (the likely to be retained) Ramon Laureano gets an off-day or a DH day.
The Rangers could use more lefty balance in the lineup, will be working on more of a limited budget this offseason, and will be focusing on better situational hitting and contact hitting, so Donovan is a strong fit on all counts. Marcus Semien still has second base spoken for in Arlington, but Donovan can be used at third base (if Josh Jung is traded) or in the outfield (Adolis Garcia is expected to be traded or non-tendered).
Since mentioned the Cardinals’ trade histories with their NL Central rivals earlier, it’s worth noting that the Cards also don’t often swing deals with the Royals, their fellow Missouri team. If geography isn’t a huge obstacle, Donovan would be a great help to a Royals club in dire need of outfielders, and second base could also be a need if Kansas City decided to move on from Jonathan India and/or Michael Massey.
Cardinals Announce Surgery For Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, Ivan Herrera
A trio of Cardinals underwent surgical procedures in recent weeks, the team announced Friday. Lars Nootbaar had surgery on both heels, and Brendan Donovan underwent a sports hernia repair on October 7. Ivan Herrera had surgery on his elbow to remove bone spurring on Oct. 15. John Denton of MLB.com was among those to report that Nootbaar’s procedure was to shave down Haglund’s deformities. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was among those to note that the recovery timetables are uncertain.
Nootbaar is coming off his healthiest big-league season. The 28-year-old played a career-high 135 games and topped 500 plate appearances for just the second time. Nootbaar missed a few weeks at the end of July with a rib injury, but that was his only IL stint. He was also sidelined for a brief stretch in August with a knee issue.
While Nootbaar stayed on the field in 2025, he struggled to produce at the plate. He slashed an underwhelming .234/.325/.361, resulting in a career-low 96 wRC+. Nootbaar maintained his solid plate discipline numbers, but he fell off significantly in the power department. His .361 SLG was a career-worst by more than 50 points, and his .128 ISO was unbefitting of a corner outfielder.
Nootbaar is arbitration-eligible this offseason. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a $5.7MM salary.
Donovan dealt with multiple injuries in 2025, with a groin strain in August costing him the most time. He initially tried to play through the injury, but eventually landed on the IL. Donovan appeared in just eight games over the final few weeks of the regular season.
The injuries capped what was shaping up to be a career season for Donovan. He hit .329 through May, before a turf toe issue popped up. Donovan earned a trip to the All-Star game and still had an OPS near .800 heading into the break. His numbers trailed off from there, but the final line was strong. Donovan finished with career-best marks in batting average and slugging percentage to go with an excellent 119 wRC+.
Donovan is also heading to arbitration. Swartz projected him for a $5.4MM salary, just behind Nootbaar.
Herrera battled several injuries himself this season, though the elbow issue is his first of the upper-body variety. He missed most of April with knee inflammation, then a hamstring strain cost him three more weeks in the summer.
A three-homer game put Herrera on the map in the first week of the season. He piled up 11 RBI in the Cardinals’ first seven games. Herrera continued to mash after the knee injury, maintaining an OPS over .900 before the hamstring injury. He scuffled in July and August, but bounced back with a massive September. Herrera wrapped up his first full big-league season with a strong .284/.373/.464 slash line. He’s been a standout at the plate whenever given the opportunity. He even saw some outfield reps this past season as St. Louis tried to find ways to get him in the lineup.
The Cardinals have several options behind the plate, which made it easier for Herrera to spend the majority of his time at DH. A potential trade could clear out some of that depth, but Herrera should find regular at-bats in the Cardinals’ lineup next year, whether at catcher or DH.
Nolan Arenado More Open To Waiving No-Trade Clause As Cardinals Plan To Rebuild
Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is becoming more open to the possibility of waiving his no-trade clause. “I think I have to be,” Arenado said to Katie Woo of The Athletic. “That’s something I’ll discuss with my agent and my family.” Right-hander Sonny Gray made similar comments to the media this week.
The signs coming out of St. Louis indicate that major changes are on the horizon. Woo reported last week that many within the organization have been told to expect the club to embark on a multi-year rebuild with significant roster turnover.
It was around this time a year ago that the first signs of a major shift came to light. In late September of last year, the Cards announced that president of baseball operations John Mozeliak would be stepping down after the 2025 season. He would be replaced by Chaim Bloom, though Bloom would spend the 2025 season overhauling the club’s player development systems.
The Cards planned to cut payroll coming into this season but found that hard to do. Players like Gray and Willson Contreras were unwilling to waive their no-trade clauses and be sent out of St. Louis. Arenado was a bit more open to the possibility but gave the Cards a list of five clubs he would approve a trade to: the Dodgers, Yankees, Padres, Red Sox and Astros.
The Cards and Astros did line up on a deal at one point but Arenado used his no-trade clause to block it. At the time, the Astros had just traded Kyle Tucker to the Cubs. Arenado said he was open to joining the Astros but wanted more clarity on their post-Tucker plans. No deal eventually came together and he stayed a Cardinal.
The 2025 season opened with the Cards having done very little in the winter. The lack of trades was also accompanied by a lack of free agent activity. Their only big league deal was a $2MM guarantee for reliever Phil Maton.
They used the campaign to evaluate younger players without finding much success. Iván Herrera hit well but some injuries and shaky defense led to him spending most of the year as a designated hitter. Jordan Walker got almost everyday playing time but struck out in 31.9% of his plate appearances and slashed .215/.275/.299 for a 63 wRC+. Nolan Gorman also got lots of playing time but found similar results, with a 33.1% strikeout rate, .204/.297/.372 line and 88 wRC+. Victor Scott II can run and play the field but provided subpar offense. Masyn Winn‘s offense declined, though that may have been related to his knee injury.
There were disappointments on the pitching side as well. Matthew Liberatore got 29 starts with pedestrian results, including a 4.21 earned run average and 18.8% strikeout rate. Andre Pallante had a passable first half with a 4.49 ERA but has a 6.64 ERA in the second half. Michael McGreevy‘s 91 innings resulted in a 4.35 ERA. With those underwhelming performances and others, the club has produced a middling 78-81 record thus far.
While the Cards ended up largely standing pat last winter, it now appears they are firmly picking the rebuild lane. Woo says many in the organization expect the rebuild to take at least two to three years. As such, it’s understandable that players like Gray and Arenado would be more open to getting out of the way. Gray is about to turn 36 years old and has just one guaranteed year left on his deal. Though he may not want to uproot his family, from an on-field perspective, it would surely be preferable to go to a club planning to win.
Along similar lines, Arenado will be turning 35 in April and is only signed through 2027. “I think the discussion I’ll have with my agent for sure is that the list will be different,” Arenado said this week, referring back to last year’s five-team list. “I would really like this not to go the way it did last year,” Arenado said. “At some point, I’ll talk to Chaim, and then we’ll hopefully have a good plan on how we need to approach it. I’ll be very open about it, and I know he will too.”
What’s unclear is how much interest other clubs will actually have in Arenado. His fielding is still graded as solid but he’s coming off his worst full-season offensive performance since he was a 22-year-old rookie. He slashed .236/.289/.371 this year for a wRC+ of 82, indicating he was 18% below average at the plate.
“The way I played this year, it looks old and washed,” Arenado said. “But I don’t feel that way. My defense is still there. I’m seeing the ball fine. There are some things where my body isn’t in the right spot, and I need to get it there because I still feel like I can be a really impactful player.”
That performance doesn’t pair well with his contract. He is going to make $27MM next year. The Rockies are covering $5MM of that and there are deferrals, but it’s still a hefty commitment. He’ll then make $15MM in 2027 as well.
Even putting aside the complication of Arenado’s no-trade, the Cardinals would surely have to eat a decent chunk of that money to facilitate a deal. It’s unclear if they would prefer to simply jettison as much of the commitment as possible or if they would rather eat even more in order to secure a notable prospect return.
There are potential ramifications elsewhere on the roster as well. In Woo’s reporting from last week, she brings up the possibility of players like Lars Nootbaar or Brendan Donovan being available in trades this winter. Both players are can be controlled via arbitration through the 2027 season. If the Cards are indeed embarking on a multi-year rebuild, it makes sense to listen on players who are only controlled for two more seasons.
Nootbaar is wrapping up a down year at the plate. The outfielder came into 2025 with a career .246/.348/.425 batting line and 116 wRC+. This year, he has a .237/.326/.366 line and 97 wRC+. That obviously cuts into his appeal but presumably there are clubs who would bet on a bounceback. He is making $2.95MM this year and will get a bump in the next two years.
Donovan’s production has been more steady. He has a career .282/.361/.411 line and 119 wRC+. This year’s .287/.353/.422 line and 118 wRC+ are right around his normal range. He also provides defensive versatility, with experience at all four infield spots as well as the outfield corners. He is making $2.85MM this year. The affordability and positional flexibility make him a fit on almost any club.
Other trade possibilities could arise this winter as well. As mentioned, Contreras didn’t want to waive his no-trade clause last offseason, but perhaps he will follow the path of Gray and Arenado in becoming more open to it. He’s been moved off the catcher position but can still hit. Alec Burleson is controlled for three more seasons, slightly longer than Donovan and Nootbaar, but is coming off a nice breakout campaign which could allow the Cards to sell high. Herrera is still controlled for four more seasons but the questions about his catching ability perhaps make him a better fit elsewhere. Reliever JoJo Romero is only controlled through 2026.
The details will surely become more clear in the coming weeks and months but it appears the main path has been selected. The rebuilding road will be a new one for the Cards. In the earlier parts of this century, they were on the cutting edge of player development, which allowed them to be consistently competitive. They’ve only had two losing seasons since 1999, though this year may be a third. They believe they have fallen a bit behind in those development areas and need to reset.
Bloom will be in charge of hitting that reset button. His previous tenure with the Red Sox saw the club amass an impressive collection of young talent, including guys like Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, Wilyer Abreu, Connelly Early and others. Bloom was fired before most of those guys reached the majors but they are now helping the Red Sox re-emerge as a contender. The hope will be for the Cards to follow a similar script, though it’s possible the next few years could be painful for the big league team.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images