Cardinals reach three-way deal to move All-Star Brendan Donovan
After an extended standoff that saw the St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners working through trade concepts involving various players, a deal finally came to fruition on Monday, with All-Star, Gold Glove-winning infielder Brendan Donovan shipped to the Mariners, the teams announced.
In return, the Cardinals received three players and a draft pick – 22-year-old switch pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (SIN-jay) and 20-year-old outfielder Tai Peete from Seattle, and 24-year-old outfielder Colton Ledbetter as well as a Comp Round B draft pick from Tampa Bay.
Cijntje, one of Seattle’s top prospects, was recently ranked No. 91 overall by MLB Pipeline. He struck out 120 batters across 108 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A last season. Cijntje and Ledbetter were teammates at Mississippi State.
Mariners general manager Justin Hollander told reporters at Seattle’s annual fan festival over the weekend that the club intends to transition Cijntje to a right-handed-only pitcher. Cijntje allowed a 1.114 OPS as a left-handed pitcher facing left-handed hitters in 2025, suggesting he was not generating enough deception from the same side to justify his unique skill set.
Peete was Seattle’s first-round pick in the 2023 draft. A speedy center fielder with power who transitioned from the infield and has professional experience at second and third base, Peete posted a .692 OPS at High-A Everett in 2023 and hit 19 home runs.
Ledbetter was a second-round pick by the Rays in 2023. The left-handed hitter logged a .716 OPS for Double-A Montgomery last season while playing all three outfield positions, with most of his time coming in right field.
Seattle also is sending third baseman Ben Williamson to Tampa Bay. The draft pick the Cardinals are receiving from the Mariners is No. 68 overall; the pick from the Rays is No. 72. Compensation picks are the only types of draft selections that teams are permitted to trade. Including their own picks, St. Louis now holds five selections in the top 72 of the upcoming MLB draft.
Donovan is the fourth former All-Star traded away by the Cardinals this winter, joining Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray. He was the Cardinals’ lone representative in last summer’s All-Star Game, three years after finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting and winning the National League Gold Glove for utility players.
Drafted by the Cardinals in the seventh round in 2018, Donovan turned 29 last month. He batted .282 with 40 home runs over four seasons in St. Louis, establishing himself as a consistent presence atop the lineup and a clubhouse leader.
His departure comes as the Cardinals are seeking to rebuild a system previously lacking in young talent. With only two years of team control left before Donovan is eligible for free agency, this was considered the optimal time to trade him.
The market for Donovan narrowed over the weekend when the San Francisco Giants signed three-time batting champion Luis Arraez. Seattle’s options for offensive depth also diminished after Eugenio Suarez signed with Cincinnati as a free agent.
Those developments helped break the deadlock in the trade talks and pushed the deal to completion after protracted negotiations.
By acquiring four assets for Donovan—including additional draft capital giving them four picks inside the top 72—the Cardinals secured a considerable return for a player long valued by the organization. While some contract extension discussions occurred last winter before Donovan’s arbitration hearing, talks never gained significant traction, making a long-term fit increasingly unlikely.
Donovan’s exit helps clarify the Cardinals’ infield plans. Alec Burleson is set as the primary first baseman and Masyn Winn is locked in at shortstop, leaving Nolan Gorman, Thomas Saggese and top prospect JJ Wetherholt in the mix for second and third base.
Wetherholt was expected to compete for a roster spot even with Donovan present; his exit now clears the way for Wetherholt’s emergence and creates more opportunities for one of the club’s top young players.
If Wetherholt makes the club, he is expected to take over at second base, leaving Gorman and Saggese in a likely platoon at third. Jose Fermin is also likely to be considered for a backup utility role.
This story was originally published February 2, 2026 at 3:43 PM.
