J.J. Picollo has been quite clear that he is looking for outfielders, with several rumors already matriculating out of the general manager meetings in Las Vegas this week. But the Royals may be creative
in their pursuit to upgrade the worst-hitting outfield in baseball. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that they have interest in Brendan Donovan, an infielder capable of playing in the outfield.
Donovan is a 28-year-old left-handed hitter who has been 15th in all of baseball with a .361 on-base percentage since he came up in 2022. He has been remarkably consistent, hitting .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs in 118 games this year, earning his first All-Star appearance and finishing with 2.7 rWAR. He battled toe issues this year and missed a month with a groin injury, eventually undergoing surgery for a sports hernia.
Donovan is a high-contact hitter with the 12th-best contact rate since 2022, and he is 15th among all hitters for the lowest strikeout rate since 2022 at 13.5 percent. He does struggle against lefties, batting .230/.292/.322 against them this year, although he has a career .325 on-base percentage against southpaws.
Donovan played 100 games at second base this year, but was the regular left-fielder last year. He has also spent a little time at shortstop and third base in his career and could fill in there in a pinch. He is an adequate defender at both second and outfield, according to defensive metrics, and did win a Gold Glove back in 2022 as a utility player. Picollo talked to Goold about how it helps to have a player with positional versatility. “Right now we don’t have somebody who can play infield and right field, and that’s something we’ve got to look at,” he said. “If we had somebody who could go from the infield to the outfield that’s very beneficial.”
Chaim Bloom has taken over running the Cardinals and will likely look to put his stamp on a franchise that has stagnated. Donovan has two more years until he is eligible for free agency and is projected to earn $5.4 million in arbitration next year. He should be a very attractive trade target with Goold writing, “more than half the teams in the majors would like to trade for him.” The Guardians are reportedly one of the teams interested, and the Yankees and Dodgers reportedly had interest at the trade deadline.
The Royals match up well with the Cardinals due to their pitching surplus. The Cardinals allowed the ninth-most runs in baseball and are looking to trade veteran starter Sonny Gray. They could use an influx of young pitchers with controllable years. That likely rules out Royals starters like Seth Lugo or Michael Wacha, and Cole Ragans would be far too great of a return. The Cardinals may not be pushing to be serious contenders next year, which means a pitcher like Kris Bubic, who has one year left til free agency, may not be a target.
That likely means the Cardinals will focus on Noah Cameron, Ryan Bergert, and Stephen Kolek as part of a potential return. The Cardinals have good catching depth, so the Royals may not be able to entice them with prospects like Blake Mitchell or Ramon Ramirez.
Proposal: Royals acquire infielder Brendan Donovan for pitchers Noah Cameron and Drew Beam
Why the Royals do it: Donovan gives them a top-of-the-order bat that can get on base to set the table for Bobby Witt Jr. He can be penciled in at second base if the Royals move on from Jonathan India, or can move to left field if the team is unable to find a solution there. His salary is low enough that they should still have the resources to pursue another bat.
Why the Cardinals do it: They can slot in Nolan Gorman and/or top prospect J.J. Wetherholt to replace Donovan at second, while bolstering their pitching staff. Cameron can join Matthew Liberatore, Andre Pallante, and Michael McGreevy to give them a rotation all under the age of 29.
Why the Royals don’t do it: Cameron has six years of control left, compared to just two for Donovan. They tried a similar gambit last offseason, moving Brady Singer for Jonathan India, and it didn’t work out. The Royals have precious little minor league depth, and Drew Beam is one of the more promising young pitchers in the organization.
Why the Cardinals don’t do it: Cameron’s low strikeout rate may not give him a lot of future upside. Donovan should have plenty of suitors, allowing the Cardinals to demand a hefty return.
