The trade Cardinals must make after Nolan Arenado deal with Diamondbacks

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The trade Cardinals must make after Nolan Arenado deal with Diamondbacks

Christopher Hennessy, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Thu, Jan 15, 2026 ·

3 min read

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The St Louis Cardinals have made a lot of trades this offseason to shed salary. With Chaim Bloom taking over baseball operations, they are heading into a new era that does not include veteran players. After dealing Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks , there is just one piece left to trade. The Cardinals must trade Brendan Donovan to finish off their fire sale offseason.

Donovan trades have been a hot topic in the rumor mill this winter. The Boston Red Sox and the San Francisco Giants are both interested, per reports, with second base as a position of need for both. While the Cardinals should be eager to deal Donovan, they need to make sure they get the best possible package in return.

The Cardinals have already made two trades with the Red Sox this offseason. Bloom used to run the Red Sox and targeted Craig Breslow's squad in trades involving Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras . There is value in Bloom bringing in pieces he drafted and started developing while in Boston. But at some point, they should look to another prospect pipeline to add from.

The Giants have three expensive pieces in their infield already. Rafael Devers , Willy Adames , and Matt Chapman both have nine-digit contracts, but second base has been a tough position. Donovan would help flesh out their infield and their lineup, but would not be cheap.

Donovan has two years of team control left, making him a valuable asset for any championship contender. He will likely overperform his financial value and be a solid defender to boot. In San Francisco , where home runs are not a priority, Donovan would be a great fit. And with Kristian Campbell 's struggles from last year, he could be a stopgap in Boston.

The Cardinals have other players to trade besides Brendan Donovan

A Donovan trade feels inevitable, as it has been heavily rumored and would benefit multiple contenders. With Ketel Marte taken off the market by the Diamondbacks, Donovan is the best second baseman available on the trade market. The Cardinals should clean up in that trade to finish off their fire sale. But maybe trading the second baseman isn't their last move before spring training.

Alec Burleson is the player on the Cardinals with trade value who does not match their competitive timeline. He is a utility glove with a solid bat, winning the utility Silver Slugger in 2025. Burleson is not a free agent until 2029, which makes him valuable, but he is also 27 years old. While they will need to field a roster in 2026, Burleson can bring in even more prospects.

The NL Central is taking off outside of St Louis. The Milwaukee Brewers , Chicago Cubs , and Cincinnati Reds all made the postseason last year. And none of those teams has the reigning Cy Young winner, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes . That should push them to make both a Donovan trade and a Burleson trade before spring training begins.

If the Cardinals could make the most out of the prospects they trade for this offseason, this could be a seminal offseason. Bloom was running the Tampa Bay Rays when they made the Chris Archer trade, which landed them Tyler Glasnow and pushed them to the 2020 pennant. Will the turnaround be that quick in St Louis? It's unlikely, but they have been a great organization throughout baseball history, and that should continue.

The Giants are the best landing spot for Donovan. In the NL West, teams feel the need to level up to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers . They should keep doing that, which they already did with the Devers trade, and Donovan provides the best option.

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