The Los Angeles Dodgers might not be the favorite to land St. Louis Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan, who has been linked to the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants this offseason.
On Dec. 10, Katie Woo and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported, citing a league source, that Donovan remains on the Dodgers’ radar. Meanwhile, Woo reported on Dec. 13, citing sources familiar with negotiations, that the Mariners and Giants have emerged as front-runners for Donovan.
Nonetheless, a recent update from MLB insider Ken Rosenthal might not have the reigning back-to-back World Series champions as the favorite to land Donovan.
“I still see Seattle as the favorite,” Rosenthal said in a Jan. 15 edition of “Fair Territory.” “And the reason for that is, their farm system is one of the best in the game. San Francisco is in the mix and has been for Donovan for quite some time, as Katie Woo reported, but their farm system is not very good at all, and they don’t have much to give that the Cardinals would necessarily want.”
In his four seasons with the Cardinals, Donovan is batting .282 with 498 hits, 40 home runs, 202 RBIs, and 241 runs scored in 492 games, per StatMuse.
The Royals Could Swoop In for Brendan Donovan
Furthermore, while the names surrounding Donovan are the Dodgers, Giants, and Mariners, Rosenthal also mentions the Kansas City Royals as a potential team to secure the utility man before the 2026 MLB season.
“Then there is Kansas City,” Rosenthal added. “They’ve been on the fringes of this thing the whole time. I don’t see them necessarily outbidding the Mariners, but they do have some interesting young pitching, in particular. Those are the teams, and I do believe he’ll get dealt. And the idea of [Lars] Nootbaar and Donovan together to Seattle, I could see that being a possibility.”
Brendan Donovan Is Enticing Trade Target for the Dodgers
While the Dodgers weren’t mentioned by Rosenthal, The Athletic’s Katie Woo did state that Los Angeles does have an interest in Donovan during the Dec. 15 edition of “Dodgers Territory.”
“Lars Nootbaar has a lot of high upside, but much of it is unproven,” Woo said. “Brendan Donovan has been one of the more consistent middle infielders in the National League over the past two seasons. He’s coming off one of the best seasons of his career.
“If you’re the Dodgers, you don’t need to take a risk. You’re not looking to part with your prospects to take a risk. What are you risking for? You’re going to trade for someone you know brings back a certain level of talent and caliber. And I think that’s what makes Brendan Donovan so enticing to the Dodgers.”
The Dodgers value a player who can play multiple positions, but, as they have shown, they aren’t willing to overspend in free agency or the trade market if Los Angeles doesn’t feel the price is right. With the Cardinals in a rebuild, they are looking to secure a maximum return for Donovan and other players who don’t fit their timeline.
Dodgers Get Bad Brendan Donovan News Amid Giants, Mariners Link