The St. Louis Cardinals roster is in flux moving forward, but one certainty seems to be that utility man Brendan Donovan will be a part of the team’s future. Just three seasons into the 27-year-old’s career, Donovan has proven he can be a piece the organization can build around offensively and defensively.
Several Cardinals on the Trade Block, But Brendan Donovan Isn’t One of Them
The Cardinals are shopping several players on the trade market. The team is seeking to reset its roster and focus on developing youth. Donovan fits in with their timeline. The utility man is entering his fourth MLB season. In his first three years, he’s proven to be one of the league’s top defenders and a solid bat.
Teams have inquired about Donovan’s availability to the Cardinals this offseason with no success. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reported that the Seattle Mariners tried to engage the Cardinals in trade conversations about Donovan. Kramer’s source told him that the Cardinals have “shut virtually every door” on those conversations.
The Cardinals are actively shopping star third baseman Nolan Arenado. They are listening to offers on several pitchers like Steven Matz and Erick Fedde. However, they do not seem motivated at all to move Donovan. Katie Woo with The Athletic reported that Donovan is a “lock” for the organization to build around along with shortstop Masyn Winn.
One of the League’s Best Defenders
AT THE WALL FOR THE WIN pic.twitter.com/qfqWPbRdEW
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 29, 2024
In Donovan’s three MLB seasons, he has won a Gold Glove as a utility player in 2022 and was a finalist in 2024. The only season he wasn’t a finalist for the award was when he missed significant time with injury in 2023.
Donovan is in the top 11 percent of MLB fielders for outs above average. He also had the 20th-best average reaction time in baseball in 2024. He’s average in arm strength, but he makes up for it with his quick reactions and reliable glove.
Donovan’s largest asset to the Cardinals is that he can play infield or outfield positions well. In his career, he has started games at all four infield positions, playing 209 games on the infield combined. He has also played 168 games in the outfield. The flexibility in Donovan’s position allows the Cardinals to slide him in depending on how players like Nolan Gorman, Jordan Walker, or Lars Nootbaar develop.
A Reliable Bat That Doesn’t Strike Out
Over his career, Donovan has a slash line of .280/.364/.407. However, his best offensive quality is his ability to make contact and put the ball in play. Donovan had the sixth-lowest strikeout percentage in the league in 2024 at 12.4 percent. He had the 11th-lowest swing and miss percentage at 15.1 percent.
Donovan also makes solid contact most of the time. The advanced metric squared-up rate measures the exit velocity of contact compared to the maximum possible based on pitch and bat speed. Donovan had the MLB’s fifth-highest squared-up percentage per swing in 2024 at 35.2 percent. For reference, that was very close to Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts‘ rate of 35.8 percent.
The 27-year-old is coming off career highs in home runs at 14 and RBI at 73. Donovan seems to be continually improving at the plate and becoming a reliable at-bat up and down the lineup. There isn’t much certainty about who will remain with the Cardinals over the next several years, but Brendan Donovan seems to be a good bet to stick around for a while.
Photo Credit: © Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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