The St. Louis Cardinals have some tough decisions to make in the near future.
St. Louis has been in plenty of rumors and speculation throughout the offseason so far and most have involved the possibility of trading star third baseman Nolan Arenado. While this is the case, there are other players to watch on the Cardinals’ roster as Spring Training approaches.
The Cardinals had to make some decisions revolving around arbitration-eligible players ahead of the Thursday deadline to file contract numbers. The Cardinals avoided arbitration with a few players but they weren’t able to come to terms on a deal yet with utility man Brendan Donovan.
There were reports that the two sides were discussing a multi-year deal, but it hasn’t come to fruition at this point. That doesn’t mean that it won’t happen. The two sides can still come to terms on a deal before the arbitration hearing gets here.
It would be a pretty big surprise if Donovan wasn’t with St. Louis in 2025 after the talks about a possible extension. While this is the case, FanSided’s Chris Landers suggested the New York Yankees as a fit if he’s traded.
“John Mozeliak may be on his way out of St. Louis, but if you thought that meant the Cardinals were going to take it easy ahead of MLB’s arbitration deadline on (Thursday), think again,” Landers said. “St. Louis failed to settle with three of their six arbitration-eligible players, and while Cardinals fans might be wondering why a team openly in rebuild mode would sweat thousands of dollars and risk angering the guys who might actually be in their long-term plans, their pain might be the Yankees’ gain. One of the three players who didn’t settle is 27-year-old utility man Brendan Donovan, who filed at $3.3 million and was unwilling to meet the Cardinals at their offer of $2.85 million…
“It’s unclear as of yet to what extent St. Louis would listen to offers for Donovan, who is still in his prime and under team control for the next three seasons. But if this is a sign of a larger rift between team and player, the Yankees might be able to make some hay. Donovan is only going to get more expensive as he proceeds through years of arbitration, and by the time the Cardinals reload in 2026 or 2027, it’ll be staring down his free agency.”
It’s an interesting suggestion and isn’t the first time New York has been mentioned as a fit. While this is the case, it would be surprising if Donovan were to be moved. The most likely option seems to be the two sides working things out.
