The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported this past week that the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals have continued engaging in trade discussions, with All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan being the latest player in question.
On Sunday, Bleacher Report’s MLB writer Erik Beaston took the Rosenthal/Sammon report and ran with it, embarking on an argumentative article pushing the Red Sox to acquire Donovan.
“Donovan … gets on base and has been the picture of consistency over the last four years with the Cardinals,” Beaston wrote. “He hit .287 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI in 118 games last season and his fielding percentage at second base (.990) is above the league average (.986).”
“Not the most dynamic player, someone who will hit 50 home runs a season, Donovan is a steady presence at the plate and puts his team in a position to score by getting on base, regardless of how game-changing it is,” Beaston continued. “Donovan will cost less than (Ketel) Marte and has another season of arbitration before hitting the free agent market in 2028. That gives the Red Sox two years of him until they either have to negotiate a new deal or look elsewhere for a replacement.”
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“The team should go get Donovan and focus on developing chemistry with all of the new faces and producing a team that can compete within its loaded division, their eyes on another World Series title.”
Drafted in the seventh round in 2018 from the University of South Alabama, Donovan debuted in 2022, finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting and winning the inaugural Utility Gold Glove.
Despite elbow surgery cutting short his 2023 campaign, he rebounded in 2024 with career highs in games (153) and hits (163). Through 2025, he holds a .282 lifetime average, 40 homers, 202 RBIs, and 11.1 WAR.
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Featured image via Brett Davis/Imagn Images
