Seattle Mariners Reporter Lists Gold Glove Winner as Possible Fit at Second Base
The Seattle Mariners infield will likely have a slightly different look to it in 2025.
A lot of players who had significant roles in the infield in 2024 will be back next season. Josh Rojas, Dylan Moore, Ryan Bliss, Luke Raley and JP Crawford will all be back for 2025, barring any trades before Opening Day on March 27.
One starter from 2024 that won't return is Jorge Polanco. The Mariners declined his $12 million club option during the first week of the offseason. Barring a return on a cheaper deal, Seattle will be looking for another solution at second base. That's become the norm since the team has traded Robinson Cano to the New York Mets in December 2018.
Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto and General Manager Justin Hollander have both identified the infield as an area in need of improvement this offseason. And with Polanco the only starter from 2024 not slated to return, second base seems to be the position in the biggest need of an upgrade.
Seattle Times reporter Adam Jude put out an article on Saturday exploring possible trade targets Seattle can target to start at second base. And Jude identified a former Gold Glove winner from the St. Louis Cardinals as a potential fit.
Jude called third-year Cardinals second baseman/left fielder Brendan Donovan as "exactly what the Mariners need" and had the following assessment about the 2018 draft pick:
This just makes too much sense for the Mariners. Donovan is a versatile left-handed hitter with good on-base skills (career slash line: .280/.364/.407) … he’s in his prime (he’ll be 28 next season) … and he’s affordable (projected to make $3.6 million in arbitration). The Cardinals need pitching and the Mariners could offer a package around young right-handers Emerson Hancock and Michael Morales. Feels like a win-win. (Another Cardinals second baseman worth asking about: Nolan Gorman, a former top prospect who fell out of favor in St. Louis this year.)
Donovan wouldn't be as flashy a trade acquisition as third baseman Nolan Arenado would be, who's also been mentioned as a potential fit in Seattle, Donovan still would be an incredible upgrade.
Donovan hasn't hit less than .278 since being called up in 2022 and is coming off career-highs in home runs (14) and RBIs (73) while playing 153 games.
Brendan Donovan hooks it into the first row for a 3-run homer! pic.twitter.com/sPDonatJff
— MLB (@MLB) August 31, 2024
As Jude mentioned in his assessment, Donovan will be cheap. Spotrac estimates Donovan to earn $4 million in arbitration, which is a third of what Polanco was estimated to earn. He's also under team control for 2026 and 2027, giving the Mariners coverage at second for several years. Something they haven't had since moving on from Cano.
Donovan would be the perfect combination of a solid player under team control at a cheap cost that wouldn't cost Seattle a big trade package to acquire (presumably). That might be enough for the Mariners to call up the Cardinals.
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