Giants Predicted To Trade For Red Sox Target
The Boston Red Sox have been linked to St. Louis Cardinals All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan in plenty of trade buzz this offseason.
According to ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle, however, Donovan is more likely to land elsewhere. Specifically, Doolittle predicted that the San Francisco Giants will trade for Donovan before the end of the offseason.
“Brendan Donovan will be traded to the San Francisco Giants,” Doolittle wrote on Friday. “The Giants need a second baseman and the Cardinals are trading any hitter within sniffing distance of age 30. It’s a perfect match, albeit less enthralling than when the Cardinals and Giants swapped Rogers Hornsby and Frankie Frisch.”
“The Giants are even a good team to paper over Donovan’s career platoon weakness against lefties,” Doolittle continued. “You pair his career .812 OPS against righties with Tyler Fitzgerald’s .841 OPS against lefties and you’ve got a strong keystone combination. The Cardinals could then turn the position over to Thomas Saggese and clear a little runway for JJ Wetherholt’s imminent arrival.”
Donovan had a very solid 2025 season with the Cardinals, appearing in 118 games while batting .287 with 132 hits, 10 home runs, 50 RBIs, 64 runs scored, and three stolen bases. He posted a .353 on-base percentage, .422 slugging percentage, and .775 OPS, showing consistent contact hitting and plate discipline with 42 walks against 67 strikeouts.
The versatile infielder/outfielder, who earned All-Star honors in 2025 as the Cardinals’ lone representative, continued his role as a reliable everyday contributor despite the team’s 78-84 finish in the NL Central.
Across his career since debuting in 2022, Donovan has played four MLB seasons exclusively with St. Louis, accumulating 492 games, 498 hits, 40 home runs, 202 RBIs, and a .282 batting average with a .771 OPS. Known for his flexibility across multiple positions and strong on-base skills, he has established himself as a valuable utility player.
Donovan agreed to a $5.8 million arbitration deal with the Cardinals for the 2026 season, avoiding a hearing. Trade rumors have persisted.