Goold: Donovan's market starting to materialize

[Goldfan]

Glad to hear some action on Donovan. He is clearly the one of the trade-high players on the team and he has the highest value.

They should be open to Burleson too.

Winn and Wetherholt are the ones to build around. Everyone else can go. Have to be blown away on a Winn trade.

2028 is when they compete to win. With injured pitching prospects starting to return in 2027.

So this guy should be set free…..but keep a GG avg hitting SS and AAA kid whose never played in MLB
Do you think the Cards have so much offense that the below stats are expendable?
How much money would Cards spend on a FA to reproduce those stats?
384 AB
.284
19HR
OBP
.373
SLG
.464
OPS
.837

I would keep Herrerra over Burleson. But I would not build around 1B/DH. Any of them. They are pieces to the puzzle but not the core.

Herrera will never be the starting catcher. Bernal/Crooks are better catchers. Oli won't let go of Pages next year.

Yes Herrerra is a good bat. But if a trade for good SP was there I'd do it.

Again….where are you going to replicate those numbers put up with 384 AB’s. This team has little power and is LH heavy…….

2 years to replace those numbers. 1B/DH bats are not hard to find or even develop. No worries.

If you are trying to win next year, well good luck with that.

He makes no money and give you 25mil/yr production……again where are you getting those stats for under 1mil?

[RunSup]

Glad to hear some action on Donovan. He is clearly the one of the trade-high players on the team and he has the highest value.

They should be open to Burleson too.

Winn and Wetherholt are the ones to build around. Everyone else can go. Have to be blown away on a Winn trade.

2028 is when they compete to win. With injured pitching prospects starting to return in 2027.

So this guy should be set free…..but keep a GG avg hitting SS and AAA kid whose never played in MLB
Do you think the Cards have so much offense that the below stats are expendable?
How much money would Cards spend on a FA to reproduce those stats?
384 AB
.284
19HR
OBP
.373
SLG
.464
OPS
.837

I would keep Herrerra over Burleson. But I would not build around 1B/DH. Any of them. They are pieces to the puzzle but not the core.

Herrera will never be the starting catcher. Bernal/Crooks are better catchers. Oli won't let go of Pages next year.

Yes Herrerra is a good bat. But if a trade for good SP was there I'd do it.

Again….where are you going to replicate those numbers put up with 384 AB’s. This team has little power and is LH heavy…….

2 years to replace those numbers. 1B/DH bats are not hard to find or even develop. No worries.

If you are trying to win next year, well good luck with that.

He makes no money and give you 25mil/yr production……again where are you getting those stats for under 1mil?

Again, I would keep Herrera over Burleson.
Again, IB/DH bats are not hard to find
Again, the time frame to in is 2 years from now. So I'm not worried about finding or developing another 1B/DH
Again, SP is the biggest hole

[Ozziesfan41]

Glad to hear some action on Donovan. He is clearly the one of the trade-high players on the team and he has the highest value.

They should be open to Burleson too.

Winn and Wetherholt are the ones to build around. Everyone else can go. Have to be blown away on a Winn trade.

2028 is when they compete to win. With injured pitching prospects starting to return in 2027.

So this guy should be set free…..but keep a GG avg hitting SS and AAA kid whose never played in MLB
Do you think the Cards have so much offense that the below stats are expendable?
How much money would Cards spend on a FA to reproduce those stats?
384 AB
.284
19HR
OBP
.373
SLG
.464
OPS
.837

I would keep Herrerra over Burleson. But I would not build around 1B/DH. Any of them. They are pieces to the puzzle but not the core.

Herrera will never be the starting catcher. Bernal/Crooks are better catchers. Oli won't let go of Pages next year.

Yes Herrerra is a good bat. But if a trade for good SP was there I'd do it.

Again….where are you going to replicate those numbers put up with 384 AB’s. This team has little power and is LH heavy…….

2 years to replace those numbers. 1B/DH bats are not hard to find or even develop. No worries.

If you are trying to win next year, well good luck with that.

If good hitting 1b/dh types were easy to develop and find the cardinals would have a good middle of the order they don’t they would also have power hitters which they don’t

[Goldfan]

Glad to hear some action on Donovan. He is clearly the one of the trade-high players on the team and he has the highest value.

They should be open to Burleson too.

Winn and Wetherholt are the ones to build around. Everyone else can go. Have to be blown away on a Winn trade.

2028 is when they compete to win. With injured pitching prospects starting to return in 2027.

So this guy should be set free…..but keep a GG avg hitting SS and AAA kid whose never played in MLB
Do you think the Cards have so much offense that the below stats are expendable?
How much money would Cards spend on a FA to reproduce those stats?
384 AB
.284
19HR
OBP
.373
SLG
.464
OPS
.837

I would keep Herrerra over Burleson. But I would not build around 1B/DH. Any of them. They are pieces to the puzzle but not the core.

Herrera will never be the starting catcher. Bernal/Crooks are better catchers. Oli won't let go of Pages next year.

Yes Herrerra is a good bat. But if a trade for good SP was there I'd do it.

Again….where are you going to replicate those numbers put up with 384 AB’s. This team has little power and is LH heavy…….

2 years to replace those numbers. 1B/DH bats are not hard to find or even develop. No worries.

If you are trying to win next year, well good luck with that.

If good hitting 1b/dh types were easy to develop and find the cardinals would have a good middle of the order they don’t they would also have power hitters which they don’t

Yeah….there is that…..
This team has no power and some would trade the best power bat….who hits for avg….and makes no money….

[Cardinals4Life]

...dungeon of mediocrity.....

Weirdly, a lot of CT demands they spend enough money right now to stay in their dungeon of mediocrity.

Cards could spend around 180M next season and be a true contender. Easily. They are choosing not to.

[JuanAgosto]

...dungeon of mediocrity.....

Weirdly, a lot of CT demands they spend enough money right now to stay in their dungeon of mediocrity.

Cards could spend around 180M next season and be a true contender. Easily. They are choosing not to.

They could choose to spend and be competitive now. Or they pinch pennies and hope all their prospects are successful. Looks like ol Billy is keeping the powder dry and hoping for the best.

[mattmitchl44]

...dungeon of mediocrity.....

Weirdly, a lot of CT demands they spend enough money right now to stay in their dungeon of mediocrity.

Cards could spend around 180M next season and be a true contender. Easily. They are choosing not to.

Not when the Dodgers, Phillies, etc. exist as they currently do in the NL. The Cardinals need a lot more young, cost controlled talent before spending even $180 million can get them remotely close to those teams right now.

Until they get, at least, a young cost controlled, 4+ fWAR, front-of-rotation SP (maybe Doyle) and a young cost controlled 4+ fWAR position player (maybe Wetherholt) to the majors and realizing their potential, even spending $180 million right now only gets them back in the "dungeon of mediocrity" of winning 8X games and hoping for the best if they make the playoffs.

[Jatalk]

Somewhat interesting to me that Masyn Winn was not mentioned as a “prefer to hold on to” player. Especially with JJ knocking on the door.

He’d make a valuable piece to a trade involving a high potential TOTR or power hitter

I’d rather keep Donovan and trade Winn but all options have to be considered.

That would be a horrible idea.

Maybe but if I could trade Winn (or a Winn package) for a young slugging RH outfielder I would seriously consider it. We can replace Winn with capable defense. Outfield not so much. Everything needs to be on the table.

[Jatalk]

Somewhat interesting to me that Masyn Winn was not mentioned as a “prefer to hold on to” player. Especially with JJ knocking on the door.

He’d make a valuable piece to a trade involving a high potential TOTR or power hitter

I’d rather keep Donovan and trade Winn but all options have to be considered.

That would be silly IMO. A GG shortstop who has not turned 24 y/o yet and has already shown bat potential at the MLB level, who doesn't hit free agency until 2030, is a commodity that you pair with a JJW type.

Winn wasn't mentioned in the article or chat because anyone with any sense knows that Winn isn't on the table unless someone just blows the Cards away with a silly offer.

You make good points. But for the right deal no one is safe including Winn.

[clemonsonroots]

I would deal with Cleveland. KC's minor league system kinda sucks. Bunch of catchers and one good pitcher in Shields. Would love to get Genao, Stephen, Valazquez. Would think they wouldn't trade Bazzana or Delauter. If they traded Messick, I would do it instantly.

[Talkin' Baseball]

I would deal with Cleveland. KC's minor league system kinda sucks. Bunch of catchers and one good pitcher in Shields. Would love to get Genao, Stephen, Valazquez. Would think they wouldn't trade Bazzana or Delauter. If they traded Messick, I would do it instantly.

Craviduce mentioned another interesting Royals pitcher a couple days ago- Kendry Chourio. I wasn't familiar with him, so I looked him up. Turns out Craviduce knows his stuff.

[Talkin' Baseball]

If the number of teams being reported as being interested in Donovan is true, it will take awhile to get something done. Not necessarily because the Cardinals are driving a hard bargain (though they may), but it will take some time to have the conversations and evaluate the offers.

[ecleme22]

If the number of teams being reported as being interested in Donovan is true, it will take awhile to get something done. Not necessarily because the Cardinals are driving a hard bargain (though they may), but it will take some time to have the conversations and evaluate the offers.

It won't take long. Bloom's team is familiar with other organizations and players.

[Ronnie Dobbs]

It won't take long. Bloom's team is familiar with other organizations and players.

Right. And again, it's a good thing that Bloom was brought in as an advisor two years ago and then fully in charge of developmental last year. He got a full year to evaluate the system and not only get a look at how to improve and modernize the system, but I'm sure he got a lot of information on the players as well. And with his guys being in charge last year he could focus solely on those players. So yeah, I'm thinking he is very familiar with our organization as well as other ones.

[rockondlouie]

Give me Noah Cameron and a prospect from KC but I’m sure they’re not wanting to trade him. Pass if they offer Kolek and/or Bergert.

Here's AI's take on a Cameron for Donovan swap:

Here’s how a **Donovan-for-Cameron trade** compares based on control, value, and team needs:

***

### **Control & Salaries**

**Noah Cameron (Royals):**

| Factor | Detail |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Control** | Through 2027 arbitration, free agent in 2032 [\[fangraphs.com\]](https://www.fangraphs.com/players/noah- ... position=P), [\[spotrac.com\]](https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/player/_/id ... ah-cameron) |
| **2025 Salary** | Pre-arbitration at \~$760K [\[spotrac.com\]](https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/player/_/id ... ah-cameron) |

**Brendan Donovan (Cardinals):**

| Factor | Detail |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Control** | Arbitration-eligible through 2027, free agent in 2028 [\[spotrac.com\]](https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/player/_/id ... an-donovan) |
| **2025 Salary** | $2.85M (requested $3.3M) [\[ksl.com\]](https://www.ksl.com/article/51250731/do ... 85-million), [\[krcgtv.com\]](https://krcgtv.com/sports/content/cardi ... -wednesday) |

***

### **Performance & Value**

**Noah Cameron (2025):**

* 2.99 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 138 IP, \~1.8 fWAR [\[fangraphs.com\]](https://www.fangraphs.com/players/noah- ... position=P), [\[baseball-r...erence.com\]](https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... no01.shtml)
* Strong breaking pitches, but likely to regress (FIP 4.18, xERA 3.97) [\[sports.yahoo.com\]](https://sports.yahoo.com/article/2025-s ... 00508.html), [\[fangraphs.com\]](https://www.fangraphs.com/players/noah- ... position=P)

**Brendan Donovan (2024–25):**

* Three-season total: .280 AVG, 30 HR, \~7.4 WAR [\[newsnow.com\]](https://www.newsnow.com/us/Sports/MLB/MLB+Trades), [\[ksl.com\]](https://www.ksl.com/article/51250731/do ... 85-million)

***

### **Team Intentions & Tradeability**

* **Royals** have pitching depth, may trade Cameron to improve offense [\[si.com\]](https://www.si.com/mlb/royals/news/roya ... line-curt9), [\[soyfutbol.com\]](https://www.soyfutbol.com/en/news/Is-No ... -0057.html)
* Offense needs remain **primary priority** for Royals 2026 [\[si.com\]](https://www.si.com/mlb/royals/onsi/news ... 2026-curt9), [\[kingsofkauffman.com\]](https://kingsofkauffman.com/2-glaring-n ... jswa8zadb7)

***

### **Is It a Fair 1-for-1?**

* **Edge to Donovan**: Higher WAR, exceptional versatility, stronger market value
* **Edge to Cameron**: Longer team control through 2027, cost-efficiency
* **Market Expectations**: Royals would require **Donovan + at least one additional mid-tier prospect** to trade Cameron [\[si.com\]](https://www.si.com/mlb/royals/news/roya ... line-curt9), [\[soyfutbol.com\]](https://www.soyfutbol.com/en/news/Is-No ... -0057.html)

***

### **Conclusion**

* A straight **1-for-1** swap would **favor the Royals**.
* To balance value, **Cardinals must include a mid-tier prospect** alongside Donovan.
* The package needs to reflect fair value for Cameron’s control and upside—and meet the Royals’ need for offense.

***

I’d do a 1 for 1 trade or even throw in a low level prospect for Cameron.

AI suggested throwing in Saggesse

DONE!

He's J.A.G.

[rockondlouie]

Somewhat interesting to me that Masyn Winn was not mentioned as a “prefer to hold on to” player. Especially with JJ knocking on the door.

He’d make a valuable piece to a trade involving a high potential TOTR or power hitter

I’d rather keep Donovan and trade Winn but all options have to be considered.

That would be a horrible idea.

Maybe but if I could trade Winn (or a Winn package) for a young slugging RH outfielder I would seriously consider it. We can replace Winn with capable defense. Outfield not so much. Everything needs to be on the table.

Absolutely jatalk

Or for a young starting pitcher w/upside to being a #2 starter.

And someone earlier said if he's traded we'd "watch him become a multiple time all-star".

Not as long as the NL has:

Lindor
Betts
Turner
Boegarts
DeLaCruz
Swanson
Abrams
Perdomo

I don't EVER seeing him making an all-star team unless he's an "every team has an all star charity" pick ala P. DeJong.

He's an all golden glove, little hit SS.