Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals is attracting attention from several National League West teams, setting up a potential clash between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. With the MLB Winter Meetings behind them, the trade market is starting to heat up.
On December 10, Katie Woo and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported, citing a league source, that Donovan remains on the Dodgers’ radar. Meanwhile, Woo reported on December 13, citing sources familiar with negotiations, that the Seattle Mariners and Giants have emerged as front-runners for Donovan.
Amid rumors linking Donovan to the Dodgers and Giants, Woo appeared on the December 15 edition of “Dodgers Territory” to shed light on the latest regarding the Cardinals‘ utility player.
“When you’re looking at how Brendan Donovan fits into the trade market, obviously, he’s been one of the most talked-about names in this offseason,” Woo said. “We saw the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants emerge as front-runners. That doesn’t mean that he’s absolutely going to Seattle or San Francisco.
“The St. Louis Cardinals could still like to keep him if they don’t like the prospect return. But those are the two that have really jumped out as really solidifying themselves and willing to, necessarily, may not overpay, but pay more than other organizations are willing to do.”
Would the Dodgers Trade for the Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan
After giving an update on the Donovan situation, Woo shed light on where the situation stands for Los Angeles and whether the Dodgers will want to part ways with the prospect capital to land the Cardinals standout.
“What the Dodgers are looking for necessarily in a trade package is cost certainty. With Brendan Donovan, you know that’s exactly what you’re going to get. So you can go out and take a flyer or make a trade for someone else, thinking about another lefty with the Cardinals, like Lars Nootbaar.
“Lars Nootbaar has a lot of high upside, but much of it is unproven. Brendan Donovan has been one of the more consistent middle infielders in the National League over the past two seasons. He’s coming off one of the best seasons of his career.
“If you’re the Dodgers, you don’t need to take a risk. You’re not looking to part with your prospects to take a risk. What are you risking for? You’re going to trade for someone you know brings back a certain level of talent and caliber. And I think that’s what makes Brendan Donovan so enticing to the Dodgers.”
Should the Giants Be Trading for Brendan Donovan
Amid the rumors linking the Giants to Donovan, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area weighed in on San Francisco’s pursuit of the Dodgers’ trade target.
“You think of adding someone like Donovan to the core they already have and maybe trying to slug next year to see where you’re at, while hoping some of the young pitching comes along; I still don’t think that’s the way to win in San Francisco,” Pavlovic said on the December 15 edition of “Giants Talk.”
“I think Donovan makes a lot of sense to be involved in that market, and it does potentially open things up. If you have that guy at second base, it opens up your current second baseman as someone you can include in trades for pitching. There are a lot of different ways this could go.”
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