seattle mariners Acquired All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan From St. Louis Cardinals On Monday, the teams announced the deal to land the versatile left-handed hitter in a three-team trade that also included tampa bay rays.
The deal – which, sources said, was one of several three-team trade offers the Cardinals were considering for Donovan – sent Seattle right-handed starter Jurangelo Szentje (No. 95 on ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel’s top 100 prospect list) to St. Louis. The Mariners also traded a third baseman. ben williamson To the rays.
The Cardinals also received a pair of prospects, center fielder Tai Peat (from Seattle) and outfielder Colton Ledbetter (from Tampa Bay), and two competitive-balance round B picks.
The 29-year-old Donovan attracted a lot of trade interest in baseball as the Cardinals spent the winter dismantling their roster as part of a rebuild. New president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom had already traded the Giants sonny gray And wilson contreras To bostonAnd nolan arenado To Arizona. However, Donovan was widely regarded as the Cardinals player receiving the most interest.
“We are pleased that, as a result of this deal, we will add five more promising young players to the talent pipeline that has always fueled the continued success of this organization,” Bloom said in a news release. “We believe we have added exciting athleticism and upside on both sides of the ball, with much more to come in this summer’s draft.
“We are all very grateful for Brandon’s contributions to the Cardinals and our community, which will last well beyond his time here. He is first-class as both a player and a person, and that combination is rare. We wish him and his wonderful family all the best.”
Seattle, which fell just short of its first World Series appearance last year, had expected to answer questions at second and third base this winter. By having Donovan, who has regularly played second and third in addition to left and right field, shortstop and first base, the Mariners have several options entering this season.
“It is hard to imagine a better fit than Brandon for our current team,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said in a news release. “The combination of his offensive skills, defensive versatility, consistency in performance, baseball instincts and quality of character is most valuable to us.”
Donovan will likely bat at the top of the Mariners’ lineup, one of the deepest in baseball. With excellent bat-to-ball skills – Donovan struck out in only 13% of his plate appearances last year, ranking 14th out of 145 hitters eligible for the batting title – and strong on-base abilities, his left-handed swing fits perfectly into a batting order that also includes the American League MVP runner-up cal raleighcenter fielder julio rodriguezfirst baseman Josh Naylorleft fielder Randy Arozarena and shortstop JP Crawford.
Seattle could promote infielder Colt Emerson, one of the best hitting prospects in baseball, to fill other open infield spots or pick up cole young Or Leo Rivas Use Donovan full time at second base and third.
“Brandon brings a unique blend of elite top-class qualities and versatility that makes him a perfect fit for our roster,” said Mariners general manager Justin Hollander. “We are excited to welcome them to Seattle.”
Sources said St. Louis had considered signing Donovan, who is eligible to reach free agency after the 2027 season, to a long-term contract rather than trading him, but the two sides never came close to an agreement. The trade takes the Cardinals’ projected Opening Day payroll to just under $100 million, a figure it has exceeded every year since 2010. They can spend almost as much money on paying out the contracts of traded players this year as they do on their major league roster.
With spring training report dates fast approaching, the Cardinals entered the week looking for resolution on a potential deal for Donovan. Although other concepts were floated, none appealed to the Cardinals as much as the trade that brought them Szentje, the 15th pick in the 2024 draft who, until recently, pitched right-handed and left-handed.
The 22-year-old Sijantje had significantly improved ability to throw right-handed, and over the winter, he eliminated switch-pitching and threw exclusively right-handed. With a fastball that consistently hovers in the mid-90s and tops out at 99, a slider with swing-and-miss qualities and a developing changeup that could become his best secondary pitch, Szentje will start the season in the higher minor leagues and could be in St. Louis before the end of the year.
The Cardinals are preparing for a transitional season after their second sub-.500 campaign in three years, the first time they have struggled this way since 1997-1999. Monday’s deal is their biggest trade return this winter and paves the way for one of the best prospects in baseball, JJ Weatherholt, to finally take over and join in at second base. masin winn In one of the best young infield combinations in the game.
Williamson, 25, made his debut last season, two years after the Mariners drafted him in the second round from William & Mary. Although his defense at third base was considered above average, he hit .253/.294/.310 in 295 plate appearances. After the acquisition of the trade deadline eugenio suarezWilliamson was sent to Triple-A, where he hit .314/.392/.462 in 240 plate appearances.
