Continuing my look around the majors to see if any of the players rumored to be on the trade market make sense for the Phillies. Today, I’ll examine St. Louis Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan.
The background
Donovan
burst onto the scene in 2022, winning a Gold Glove award and finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting. Since then, he has proven to be one of the most versatile players in baseball, playing every infield position, as well as the two corner outfield spots while supplying above average offense. He has a career on-base percentage of .361 and an OPS+ of 119.
A strong first half in 2025 earned him a spot on the NL All-Star team, before injuries limited him to just 17 games in the final two months.
Why he might be available
The Cardinals are rebuilding, and with only two years of control left, they likely don’t think the soon-to-be 29-year-old fits in with their timeline.
Why the Phillies might be interested
Any contending team should be interested in a super-utility player who rarely strikes out, and hits double digit home runs every season. With the long-term future of both Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm in question, Donovan might be able to fill in if the Phillies choose to move on from either one this offseason.
Why the Phillies might not be interested
As it stands, there doesn’t seem to be a spot for Donovan. If he was right-handed, he could work in the role they tried to use Whit Merrifield in a couple of years ago, subbing in for Stott or Brandon Marsh. However, Donovan is lefthanded and showed some significant platoon splits last year. And the Phillies already have a good utility infielder in Edmundo Sosa.
The Cardinals are also apparently asking a lot for Donovan.
Would I trade for him?
You could make the argument that Donovan would be a pretty good outcome for Aidan Miller, so maybe you exchange the two and get the finished product while the team is still in contention.
But unless they’re planning on moving Bohm or Stott, I can’t see how it works. And even then, much of Donovan’s value comes from his versatility, so making him a full-time starter at one position feels like misuse. I would rather hold onto the prospects.
