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Brendan Donovan trade grades for Mariners, Cardinals, Rays
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- Brendan Donovan trade grades for Mariners, Cardinals, Rays
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On Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals , Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays agreed to a three-team trade . The deal was led by the versatile Brendan Donovan , who ended up in Seattle. Donovan had been mentioned in trade rumors throughout the offseason and ultimately was traded by the rebuilding Cardinals. Meanwhile, St. Louis received RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, CF Tai Peete, OF Colton Ledbetter and two competitive-balance Round B picks while Tampa Bay received 3B Ben Williamson , according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
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Let's take a closer look at the deal and give each team a grade.
Rays join three-team trade
The Rays joined in on the action to help get the deal done. Tampa Bay surrendered their No. 24 overall prospect in OF Colton Ledbetter in addition to one competitive-balance Round B pick. In return, the Rays received 3B Ben Williamson from the Mariners.
Williamson, 25, is an infielder who made his big league debut in 2025. He appeared in 85 games during the '25 campaign, slashing .253/.294/.310. Williamson also hit a home run and stole five bases. He primarily spent his time at third base.
It's a fine deal for Seattle. They needed another infielder, so Williamson fills a void on their roster.
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Rays' trade grade: B
Cardinals continue their rebuild
The Cardinals are going all in on their rebuild. In addition to Donovan, they have traded 3B Nolan Arenado , C Willson Contreras and RHP Sonny Gray this offseason.
St. Louis acquired the No. 91 overall prospect from the Mariners in MLB in RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje as part of the Donovan trade. He is now St. Louis' No. 4 overall prospect, per MLB.com. CF Tai Peete was also sent to St. Louis as part of the trade. He is now the Cardinals' No. 15 overall prospect.
They also acquired Ledbetter who was a top 30 prospect in the Rays' farm system in addition to two competitive-balance Round B picks.
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Donovan was an All-Star in 2025. He can play in the infield or outfield as well. Additionally, Donovan is under contract through 2027.
The Cardinals did pretty well in this deal. While Donovan enjoyed a strong season in 2025, he is not regarded as a superstar. Yet, St. Louis received one of the better prospects in baseball in Cijntje. He could be an ace someday in St. Louis. The additions of Peete and Ledbetter certainly won't hurt matters either.
Cardinals' trade grade: A-
Mariners add Brendan Donovan
Joe Puetz-Imagn Images
Seattle gave up quite a bit to get Donovan. However, the Mariners currently have a lot of young and talented starting pitchers, so moving on from Cijntje is not the end of the world. They also traded Peete and Williamson as well as a competitive-balance Round B pick.
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Nevertheless, bringing in Donovan makes sense for the Mariners. They had a question mark in their infield after Eugenio Suarez agreed to sign with the Cincinnati Reds , but Seattle quickly pivoted and brought in the versatile Cardinals All-Star.
Donovan could play second or third base in Seattle. Either way, the Mariners' lineup will receive a boost without question. The 29-year-old hit .287/.353/.422 during the 2025 MLB season. He added 32 doubles, 10 home runs and 64 runs scored.
Donovan projects to be a quality addition to a Mariners lineup that features sluggers such as Julio Rodriguez , Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor . Seattle will be among the favorites to reach the World Series in 2026.
Mariners trade grade: A
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