For months, Brendan Donovan was like a name hovering in the market â everyone knew he would be traded, everyone believed their team had a chance, and everyone was waiting for the Cardinals to make the first move. On Monday, the waiting game was over. But not in the way many expected.
Donovan didn’t go to Cleveland. He didn’t join a team that needed exactly the type of player he was. Instead, he joined the Seattle Mariners â after a complex three-way deal and a price that shocked many fans.
Two former first-round picks. A young third baseman. Prospect outfield. Plus draft picks. That wasn’t the price of an average “utility guy.” That was the price of a team that believed they had no time to hesitate.
For the Mariners, this trade wasn’t a luxury. It was a matter of survival.
Seattle entered the offseason with a very clear problem: middle infield. Ryan Bliss, Miles Mastrobuoni, J.P. Crawfordâno name offered reassurance to a team that had just narrowly missed the World Series. Donovan, therefore, became the perfect solution: good contact, not prone to strikeouts, capable of playing second base, corner outfield, and even adapting when needed.
And the Mariners had been pursuing him since mid-December.
The Cardinals understood that. They also understood that Donovanâafter a season of .287/.353/.422, All-Star first half, and three consecutive double-digit homerâwas at the peak of his value. A player who wasn’t flashy, but the glue that held any contender together. So St. Louis dragged things out, waited, and pushed the market higher. And in the end, Seattle was the team that paid the price.
That price, from afar, seemed risky. Jurrangelo Cijntje and Tai Peete were both first-round picks. Ben Williamson was an elite third-baseman. This wasn’t the kind of asset smaller teams would casually spend. But the Mariners didn’t see Donovan as a temporary fix. They saw him as a player who could solve multiple problems at once.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians could only watch.
Donovan was once considered the Guardians’ “dream fit.” They lacked contact. They lacked consistency at second base and right field. They had just had a season where their batting average from those two positions was among the worst in MLB. But the Guardians hesitatedâbecause he’s left-handed, because of roster balance, because of their philosophy. And when the Cardinals raised their bid, Cleveland backed out.
Now, the “what if” question begins to arise.
Because Donovan isn’t the kind of star who changes headlines. He’s the kind of player who makes the lineup easier, reduces pressure on the pitcher, and gives the manager more flexibility. That’s the kind of player whose value you only see when⊠you miss the chance to acquire him.
The Mariners didn’t miss out.
They knew Donovan wouldn’t bring in 30 homer points. But they also knew that a team that nearly won the AL couldn’t continue living with a gap in the middle infield. They accepted the high price for stabilityâand sent a clear message: Seattle was no longer playing it safe.
And the Cardinals? They got what they wanted: maximizing value in a cold, calculated rebuild. No emotion. No nostalgia. Just timing.
Brendan Donovan left St. Louis. The Mariners got the piece they’d been chasing all winter. And somewhere, another contender is wondering: was this the opportunity they let slip away?
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