Cardinals Predicted To Cut Ties With First-Time All-Star As Rebuild Begins

The 2025 trade deadline seemed to be a sign of things to come for the St. Louis Cardinals.

After a decent start to the year, the Cardinals faded back to .500 in July, which allowed them to trade off their expiring veterans at Thursday’s deadline. As John Mozeliak hands over the keys to the baseball operations department to Chaim Bloom at the end of this season, more roster turnover seems likely.

It’s going to be fascinating to see who leaves and who stays for a Cardinals team that is quickly getting younger. And a first-time All-Star could very well be on the move this winter.

Brendan Donovan, a valuable utility player who has two remaining years of control, wasn’t moved at the deadline. But one baseball writer thinks it’s only a matter of time until he’s out of St. Louis.

On Wednesday, FanSided’s Christopher Kline predicted that Donovan would be traded this offseason as Bloom attempts to build the foundations of a future contender.

“A lot of teams checked in on Donovan at the trade deadline, but the Cards were understandably reluctant to deal away a controllable star,” Kline wrote. “That said, he’s only under contract through 2027. Bloom’s rebuild in St. Louis probably means the Cardinals won’t be ready to compete until after Donovan’s current contract expires.

“The lefty has the sort of dependable skill set every contender wants and needs. Donovan would’ve made a lot of teams better at the deadline. Instead, it will fall to Bloom to pinpoint when, where and for whom Donovan is dealt.”

With a .756 OPS and 2.2 bWAR this season, Donovan’s overall output doesn’t necessarily indicate he’s destined to be an All-Star every season. But the 28-year-old is an everyday player with desirable versatility, and at age 28, he’s not looking like a fixture of the next great Cardinals team.

So it wouldn’t be a surprise for Kline’s prediction to come true, but any deal is also contingent upon Bloom feeling as though he’s trading Donovan at his peak value, since there are still two years to play with.

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