The Seattle Mariners appear set to add another All-Star player to their roster. Seattle recently won the American League West in 2025 and came within one game of reaching the World Series. Yet they recently lost Jorge Polanco via free agency, and Eugenio Suarez could very well be next.
To help combat these departures, the Mariners are looking to bring in new additions during the offseason. One particular player Seattle is eyeing is St. Louis Cardinals All-Star Brendan Donovan. The Athletic’s Katie Woo recently revealed that a potential trade involving the versatile star is gaining steam.
Not only is Seattle the frontrunner to land Donovan, but the Cardinals have already asked the Mariners about two specific players. According to Woo, St. Louis is interested in pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje and outfielder Lazaro Montes. Cijntje is particularly interesting because he throws both right-handed and left-handed. The two youngsters are both ranked inside the top 10 of Seattle’s prospect pool.
A potential trade partnership between the two teams would make sense. After all, the current Cardinals director of pitching, Matt Pierpont, previously worked for the Mariners before jumping ship ahead of the 2025 season.
Insider Claims the Seattle Mariners Have the Trade Pieces to Land Brandan Donovan
GettyBrendan Donovan has been a hit in St. Louis since arriving in the big leagues.
The Athletic reporter is not the only media member linking the Mariners to Donovan. MLB insider Jim Bowden reiterated Woo’s comments on the situation during an appearance on Foul Territory on December 15. The former GM claimed that Donovan would be a great fit in Seattle, and that the Mariners could make an acceptable offer to Cardinals exec Chaim Bloom.
“This is a Gold Glove infielder,” said Bowden. “He can play second, third, or left. He gets on base at the 35% clip. And he is a really good fit in Seattle. The Mariners have the farm system; they have the pieces that Chaim Bloom needs. So I’m kind of viewing that as maybe the next shoe to drop, but, look, there are so many discussions out there about so many players.”
The Cardinals are currently shopping several veterans as they look to rebuild going forward. Along with Donovan, St. Louis is also listening to offers for Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, and JoJo Romero. However, Donovan could potentially bring the team the most in return this winter.
Donovan Ranks High Among MLB Second Basemen in Several Statistical Categories
Donovan is being targeted by the Mariners and several other teams because he is a Gold Glover and All-Star. Not only does he play solid defense, but as Bowden pointed out, he can play several different positions.
Donovan was named to the 2025 National League All-Star team as an infielder. The veteran featured at second base for 100 games during the 2025 season. Nevertheless, he also played 18 games in the outfield and six at shortstop.
According to Fangraphs.com, Donovan posted the sixth-highest WAR (6.0) of any MLB second basemen. The particular figure was the same as Jose Altuve and only slightly lower than Marcus Semien. Defense, however, is not the star’s only strong suit. In fact, Fangraphs also rated Donovan as the fourth-best offensive second baseman in the entire league in 2025.
Mariners Frontrunners to Land Versatile Gold Glover via Trade