Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Super Utility Man Listed As Potential Trade Fit For Royals

The Cardinals and Royals may link up for a trade.

Curt Bishop

Sep 11, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of the 9/11 ribbon on a St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Sep 11, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of the 9/11 ribbon on a St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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The St. Louis Cardinals are set to rebuild after missing the postseason for the second consecutive year. This means certain players are going to be traded.

Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras are already considered locks to stay after invoking their no-trade clauses, but the Cardinals will be prioritizing their young core rather than going out and adding to the Major League roster.

The Kansas City Royals on the other hand are in prime position to contend in the next few years and may seek some help from the Cardinals to supplement their roster. Jacob Milham of FanSided proposed the idea of Kansas City trying to trade for Brendan Donovan.

"If St. Louis wants to maximize its strengths and pursue more pitching power or prospect value for 2025, infield depth is likely the area to trade from. With Jordan Walker at third base, Thomas Saggese at second, and hopes for Nolan Gorman to finally take that next step, the Cardinals' infield picture for 2026 and beyond seems set," Milham wrote. "But if next season started today, utilityman Brendan Donovan deserves a spot in the lineup and on the field.

"So, if the Cardinals wants to prioritize its internal prospects at their natural positions, why not consider moving on from one of the game's best utility players?"

Trading Donovan would give the Cardinals a massive haul of young players in exchange. However, it's unlikely that the Cardinals would actually do this.

With the team prioritizing its young core, it wouldn't make sense to trade Donovan, as he is a key part of that core. Crazier things have happened though, and it will be interesting to see how the offseason plays out.

More MLB: Cardinals $25M Star Among Top Trade Options For Padres, Per Insider

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Curt Bishop
CURT BISHOP

Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.

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