If Giants willing to put this guy in trade talks. Bloom may strike a deal

[ramfandan]

If the Giants are willing to put Josuar Gonzalez in Brendan Donovan trade talks, the Cardinals may have a deal .
Gonzalez is 18 yr. old taken high in international draft . The SS is currently ranked as Giants No. 2 prospect after Eldridge



MLB .com has this :
Gonzalez showed off his all-around ability at an 18-and-under World Cup qualifier in Panama in August 2024, going 8-for-22 with more extra-base hits (four), walks (six) and steals (five) than strikeouts (three). Regarded as the top performer at that event and as the best position player in the 2025 international crop, he signed with the Giants for $2,997,500, the second-highest international bonus in franchise history. He has the highest ceiling in the system as a shortstop with the potential for plus tools across the board.
Though his ETA would be 2030 , he would be 22 years old then (unless he makes the big leagues in less time )


Baseball America have him listed as one of 10 players to crack the Top100 prospects after this upcoming season .


BA stated Gonzalez was an easy choice for the top prospect in the 2025 Dominican Summer League. Stateside evaluators got a sneak peek during instructional league, where the 17-year-old displayed standout athleticism and made the margin between him and Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge razor thin. If he performs to his capabilities, he has the potential to give San Francisco the top Arizona Complex League prospect for the second straight season.

More from MLB.com prospect profile
A switch-hitter, Gonzalez generates electric bat speed with ease from both sides of the plate. He's a more polished hitter from his natural left side but displays plenty of power as a righty as well. He'll need to develop more consistent timing with his leg kick but his compact stroke and advanced feel for the barrel could make him a .280 hitter with 25 homers on an annual basis once he's fully developed.

At least a plus runner, Gonzalez is a twitchy athlete with a quick first step who should become a basestealing threat. Scouts have no doubts about his ability to remain at shortstop, where he has smooth actions and a strong arm. He has advanced instincts to go with his impressive physical ability and international scouts have compared him to the likes of Francisco Lindor and José Reyes.

Why do we need a SS prospect that’s probably blocked for the next decade and a half?

Read ramfandan's post above. 18 year old SS often change positions, as youngsters who can play SS are usually talented and athletic enough to play anywhere on the diamond, except for pitcher and catcher.

yes, thank you ,12xu .
Since too long to type , I copied and pasted several major league stars who started as SS as teenagers who eventually moved to other positions in the majors :
(Note this is only some )

Here are major league stars who played shortstop as youngsters and later played other positions:
Hall of Famers & Legends
Robin Yount (SS to CF): Reached the majors at 18 as a shortstop, winning an MVP in 1982, before moving to center field in 1985 to prolong his career, winning another MVP there in 1989.

Paul Molitor (SS to 3B/2B/DH): Drafted as a shortstop and played there early, but transitioned to third base, second base, and eventually DH


George Brett (SS to 3B): Played shortstop in the minors before moving to third base in the majors.
Superstars & All-Stars

Alex Rodriguez (SS to 3B): Played shortstop with the Mariners and Rangers, but moved to third base upon joining the Yankees to accommodate Derek Jeter.

Fernando Tatis Jr. (SS to RF): Moved from shortstop to right field upon returning to the Padres, winning a Gold Glove in his first year at the new position.


























Miguel Cabrera (SS to 3B/1B/LF): Played 168 games at shortstop as a teenager in the minors before moving to third base, left field, and eventually becoming a first baseman/DH.
Gary Sheffield (SS to 3B/OF): Played shortstop early in his career before moving to third base and eventually the outfield.
Robin Ventura (SS/3B to 1B): While primarily a third baseman, he was a shortstop early in his amateur career.

[sikeston bulldog2]

If the Giants are willing to put Josuar Gonzalez in Brendan Donovan trade talks, the Cardinals may have a deal .
Gonzalez is 18 yr. old taken high in international draft . The SS is currently ranked as Giants No. 2 prospect after Eldridge



MLB .com has this :
Gonzalez showed off his all-around ability at an 18-and-under World Cup qualifier in Panama in August 2024, going 8-for-22 with more extra-base hits (four), walks (six) and steals (five) than strikeouts (three). Regarded as the top performer at that event and as the best position player in the 2025 international crop, he signed with the Giants for $2,997,500, the second-highest international bonus in franchise history. He has the highest ceiling in the system as a shortstop with the potential for plus tools across the board.
Though his ETA would be 2030 , he would be 22 years old then (unless he makes the big leagues in less time )


Baseball America have him listed as one of 10 players to crack the Top100 prospects after this upcoming season .


BA stated Gonzalez was an easy choice for the top prospect in the 2025 Dominican Summer League. Stateside evaluators got a sneak peek during instructional league, where the 17-year-old displayed standout athleticism and made the margin between him and Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge razor thin. If he performs to his capabilities, he has the potential to give San Francisco the top Arizona Complex League prospect for the second straight season.

More from MLB.com prospect profile
A switch-hitter, Gonzalez generates electric bat speed with ease from both sides of the plate. He's a more polished hitter from his natural left side but displays plenty of power as a righty as well. He'll need to develop more consistent timing with his leg kick but his compact stroke and advanced feel for the barrel could make him a .280 hitter with 25 homers on an annual basis once he's fully developed.

At least a plus runner, Gonzalez is a twitchy athlete with a quick first step who should become a basestealing threat. Scouts have no doubts about his ability to remain at shortstop, where he has smooth actions and a strong arm. He has advanced instincts to go with his impressive physical ability and international scouts have compared him to the likes of Francisco Lindor and José Reyes.

Why do we need a SS prospect that’s probably blocked for the next decade and a half?

Read ramfandan's post above. 18 year old SS often change positions, as youngsters who can play SS are usually talented and athletic enough to play anywhere on the diamond, except for pitcher and catcher.

I believe that to be true. SS usually are atheletic enough to transition. In fact, in many instances, the stud pitcher also played short on non pitch days.

[ramfandan]

If the Giants are willing to put Josuar Gonzalez in Brendan Donovan trade talks, the Cardinals may have a deal .
Gonzalez is 18 yr. old taken high in international draft . The SS is currently ranked as Giants No. 2 prospect after Eldridge



MLB .com has this :
Gonzalez showed off his all-around ability at an 18-and-under World Cup qualifier in Panama in August 2024, going 8-for-22 with more extra-base hits (four), walks (six) and steals (five) than strikeouts (three). Regarded as the top performer at that event and as the best position player in the 2025 international crop, he signed with the Giants for $2,997,500, the second-highest international bonus in franchise history. He has the highest ceiling in the system as a shortstop with the potential for plus tools across the board.
Though his ETA would be 2030 , he would be 22 years old then (unless he makes the big leagues in less time )


Baseball America have him listed as one of 10 players to crack the Top100 prospects after this upcoming season .


BA stated Gonzalez was an easy choice for the top prospect in the 2025 Dominican Summer League. Stateside evaluators got a sneak peek during instructional league, where the 17-year-old displayed standout athleticism and made the margin between him and Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge razor thin. If he performs to his capabilities, he has the potential to give San Francisco the top Arizona Complex League prospect for the second straight season.

More from MLB.com prospect profile
A switch-hitter, Gonzalez generates electric bat speed with ease from both sides of the plate. He's a more polished hitter from his natural left side but displays plenty of power as a righty as well. He'll need to develop more consistent timing with his leg kick but his compact stroke and advanced feel for the barrel could make him a .280 hitter with 25 homers on an annual basis once he's fully developed. Never assume.
EX. I remember when Brewers SS was two years from free agency . Brewer fans wanted him extended. Brewers Matt Arnold realized Adames would get a big payday from other teams. Adames never signed long term and left for $$$ to Giants.

At least a plus runner, Gonzalez is a twitchy athlete with a quick first step who should become a basestealing threat. Scouts have no doubts about his ability to remain at shortstop, where he has smooth actions and a strong arm. He has advanced instincts to go with his impressive physical ability and international scouts have compared him to the likes of Francisco Lindor and José Reyes.

Why do we need a SS prospect that’s probably blocked for the next decade and a half?

It would be nice to think the Cardnals have Winn long term at SS but I never assume that . Two years ago , I would have thought Donovan was going to be at 2nd long term for our team .. nope ! Winn has two years of his service time in .. (4 more years til free agency ) .. If he continues to thrive, he may not extend his time with the Cardinals and test free agency for huge $$$. Bloom realizes that too. By then he may have 4 Gold Gloves to his credit and the 'big market' teams may pay him megabucks that St. Louis could never match. So Bloom will never put all his eggs in one basket thinking Winn is here for years and years. Be nice but not the reality . Four years from now, Winn could be a goner and we could be seeking a SS to move into that spot. A Gonzales kid could be ready about that time. Always consider the long term possibilities.

and if Cardinals fortunate to keep Winn, a Gonzales type may be in the running to play at 3rd base possibly or another spot. Keep an open mind if a talented player is out there.

[RamFan08NY]

I agree with all that said you cannot trade BD for a kid who is, at earliest, 3-4 years away from the majors. The Cardinals, and the Cardinal fans need to see a result from the trade by the latest, 2027.

[ramfandan]

I agree with all that said you cannot trade BD for a kid who is, at earliest, 3-4 years away from the majors. The Cardinals, and the Cardinal fans need to see a result from the trade by the latest, 2027.

The 'kid' would be one piece of the trade . Remember , Bloom wishes a 'haul' for Donovan. No problem for the 18 yr old to be part of the haul IMO.
I think Bloom would be extremely pleased to get a kid who already is ranked 30th in the Top 100 .

[ramfandan]

When a youngster with no track record in minor league ball (as the case with Gonzales ), the evaluation as to his long term potential is based on the international scouts that have seen the kid.
Multiple eyes have watched the kid and Bloom picks the brains of his top international scouts. In our case, that is Asst GM Moises Rodriguez head of our international scouting.
How much stock does Bloom put in Moises evaluation ? Naturally, the more Bloom trusts his judgement the more likely he is to want a player that he recommends.
In some report on MLB , scouts said Gonzales had skillset that reminded them of Lindor and Jose Reyes at that age .
So Bloom probably asks Moises about that .. 'Bloom : How do you compare this kid to when you saw Lindor ? Overall, does he compare for you ? If not where are his skills different ? '
' He is a switch hitter.. do you think he retains that for the majors ?
Of course, his attitude , competitive drive, baseball smarts, his confidence, work ethic , coach ability all go into the evaluation too.
There are no minor league numbers yet so one is projecting. Those who thought Lindor was a possible star in the making were correct . Now the question , Does Moise think Gonzales would be a future star or not ? If he does, then Bloom might pull the trigger on a deal where Gonzales is part of the trade. If not, he passes on him . Always a risk/reward .

[rockondlouie]

Reported they offered him for CJ Abrahms (career .249 .306 .411 .717/101 OPS+) who does play SS and has better speed than
Donny (.282 .361 .411 .772/117 OPS+) who's the better hitter.

[Melville]

If the Giants are willing to put Josuar Gonzalez in Brendan Donovan trade talks, the Cardinals may have a deal .
Gonzalez is 18 yr. old taken high in international draft . The SS is currently ranked as Giants No. 2 prospect after Eldridge



MLB .com has this :
Gonzalez showed off his all-around ability at an 18-and-under World Cup qualifier in Panama in August 2024, going 8-for-22 with more extra-base hits (four), walks (six) and steals (five) than strikeouts (three). Regarded as the top performer at that event and as the best position player in the 2025 international crop, he signed with the Giants for $2,997,500, the second-highest international bonus in franchise history. He has the highest ceiling in the system as a shortstop with the potential for plus tools across the board.
Though his ETA would be 2030 , he would be 22 years old then (unless he makes the big leagues in less time )


Baseball America have him listed as one of 10 players to crack the Top100 prospects after this upcoming season .


BA stated Gonzalez was an easy choice for the top prospect in the 2025 Dominican Summer League. Stateside evaluators got a sneak peek during instructional league, where the 17-year-old displayed standout athleticism and made the margin between him and Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge razor thin. If he performs to his capabilities, he has the potential to give San Francisco the top Arizona Complex League prospect for the second straight season.

More from MLB.com prospect profile
A switch-hitter, Gonzalez generates electric bat speed with ease from both sides of the plate. He's a more polished hitter from his natural left side but displays plenty of power as a righty as well. He'll need to develop more consistent timing with his leg kick but his compact stroke and advanced feel for the barrel could make him a .280 hitter with 25 homers on an annual basis once he's fully developed.

At least a plus runner, Gonzalez is a twitchy athlete with a quick first step who should become a basestealing threat. Scouts have no doubts about his ability to remain at shortstop, where he has smooth actions and a strong arm. He has advanced instincts to go with his impressive physical ability and international scouts have compared him to the likes of Francisco Lindor and José Reyes.

The headliner for Donovan cannot be an 18 year old. We need a high prospect who is closer to the Majors. Otherwise hold Donovan until the price is paid.

Yes even if that’s the best move I don’t see bloom doing cards fans would never accept a guy not expected
To make the majors until until 2029. He is going for a ready or near ready prospect. He may take a low level high upside prospect but the headliner will be near ready or ready prospect

If they want to make Gonzalez a secondary piece, that would be fine. He can’t be the headliner.

Correct.
STL should only be trading for young players who have already reached the majors - or are very close with a strong minor league track record.
Foolish to deal for any 18 year old kid who may never reach MLB and may not be all that good if he does.

[2ninr]

I agree with all that said you cannot trade BD for a kid who is, at earliest, 3-4 years away from the majors. The Cardinals, and the Cardinal fans need to see a result from the trade by the latest, 2027.

The 'kid' would be one piece of the trade . Remember , Bloom wishes a 'haul' for Donovan. No problem for the 18 yr old to be part of the haul IMO.
I think Bloom would be extremely pleased to get a kid who already is ranked 30th in the Top 100 .

The more I think about it, if this is the best deal that's actually offered, I would much rather have him in our system than 2 years of Donny in the majors.

[RamFan08NY]

I agree with all that said you cannot trade BD for a kid who is, at earliest, 3-4 years away from the majors. The Cardinals, and the Cardinal fans need to see a result from the trade by the latest, 2027.

The 'kid' would be one piece of the trade . Remember , Bloom wishes a 'haul' for Donovan. No problem for the 18 yr old to be part of the haul IMO.
I think Bloom would be extremely pleased to get a kid who already is ranked 30th in the Top 100 .

The more I think about it, if this is the best deal that's actually offered, I would much rather have him in our system than 2 years of Donny in the majors.

The "Pirate" way. Sadly, unloading their best players close to contract time hasn't worked great for them. It looks like that may be the only option for half the teams in the league now.

[2ninr]

I agree with all that said you cannot trade BD for a kid who is, at earliest, 3-4 years away from the majors. The Cardinals, and the Cardinal fans need to see a result from the trade by the latest, 2027.

The 'kid' would be one piece of the trade . Remember , Bloom wishes a 'haul' for Donovan. No problem for the 18 yr old to be part of the haul IMO.
I think Bloom would be extremely pleased to get a kid who already is ranked 30th in the Top 100 .

The more I think about it, if this is the best deal that's actually offered, I would much rather have him in our system than 2 years of Donny in the majors.

The "Pirate" way. Sadly, unloading their best players close to contract time hasn't worked great for them. It looks like that may be the only option for half the teams in the league now.

Actually I would be really exited about this prospect. I like Donny but Gonzalez has a way higher ceiling. If Donny is your best player, that's the problem. You have to take shots at finding these guys.

[peterman'srealitytour]

I agree with all that said you cannot trade BD for a kid who is, at earliest, 3-4 years away from the majors. The Cardinals, and the Cardinal fans need to see a result from the trade by the latest, 2027.

The 'kid' would be one piece of the trade . Remember , Bloom wishes a 'haul' for Donovan. No problem for the 18 yr old to be part of the haul IMO.
I think Bloom would be extremely pleased to get a kid who already is ranked 30th in the Top 100 .

The more I think about it, if this is the best deal that's actually offered, I would much rather have him in our system than 2 years of Donny in the majors.

The "Pirate" way. Sadly, unloading their best players close to contract time hasn't worked great for them. It looks like that may be the only option for half the teams in the league now.

Actually I would be really exited about this prospect. I like Donny but Gonzalez has a way higher ceiling. If Donny is your best player, that's the problem. You have to take shots at finding these guys.

Yep, this guy would be exactly the kind of return you want for Donovan. If Bloom believes in the ceiling, trust your development team.

Doesn’t matter if he’s 18. We’re not making any playoff run in the next year or two. This guy is ranked as high as Raniel Rodriquez and he just turned 19. Would you trade Donovan for Rodriquez? In a heartbeat.

[TopofthePerch]

I agree with all that said you cannot trade BD for a kid who is, at earliest, 3-4 years away from the majors. The Cardinals, and the Cardinal fans need to see a result from the trade by the latest, 2027.

The 'kid' would be one piece of the trade . Remember , Bloom wishes a 'haul' for Donovan. No problem for the 18 yr old to be part of the haul IMO.
I think Bloom would be extremely pleased to get a kid who already is ranked 30th in the Top 100 .

The more I think about it, if this is the best deal that's actually offered, I would much rather have him in our system than 2 years of Donny in the majors.

The "Pirate" way. Sadly, unloading their best players close to contract time hasn't worked great for them. It looks like that may be the only option for half the teams in the league now.

Actually I would be really exited about this prospect. I like Donny but Gonzalez has a way higher ceiling. If Donny is your best player, that's the problem. You have to take shots at finding these guys.

Yes I agree and Davidson was just ranked 87 overall in Baseball America's preseason top 100 prospects list. If you got both of them and more I could see that making sense.

[ICCFIM2]

Josuar Gonzalez has a BTV of 39.4 compared to Donovan's 30.7 which is down a tick from a week or so ago. So if he was included by the Giants, he is going to be the headliner if not the only player coming back. He might be great, he might not. I have a hard time getting excited about an 18 year old SS that weighs under 170 pounds. Didn't we draft a guy like that a few years ago, he had some PED issues, we drafted him in the first round and he couldn't hit the ball out of the infield. This kids rookie ball stats were out of the ballpark. But, again, he is a long way off.

Eldridge has a BTV of 48.9. We are not getting him for Donovan. We might get him if they also want Nootbar. But, it would be Donovan plus Nootbar for Eldridge. As impressive as Eldridge looks, I went back to look at how many 60 grade prospects the Cards have had in the last 6 years. There are three, Dylan Carlson, Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholdt. There are no sure things...

If we want a mix of high upside, proximity to MLs and a bit lower level, Bo Davidson, BTV 14 50 Grade probably starts this year in AAA. He was great at A ball, but struggled at AA last year. Dakota Jordan BTV 11.6 50 Grade RH power hitting OF prospect, probably starts the year in AA probably likely a late 2027 ML debut more likely 2028. Carson Whisenhunt BTV 6.5 50 Grade, probably ready to start in the rotation on opening day 2026.

The total for that Giant prospect group BTV is 32.1, which matches up well to Donovan. I would be OK with that trade. We should also recognize that the Cards could end up with zero out of that trade at the ML level. It is a bit of a quantity for quality trade, which in general I think the Cards should avoid if they trade Donovan. But, there is upside with the 2 OF prospects the Cards definitely need. Whisenhunt throws another pitcher into the pile in the hope a few of them turn out to be good and healthy.

When I saw the trade of Gore by the Nationals to the Rangers, that was also a quality for quantity trade. Similar type prospects going back to the Nationals and more of them.

[Whatashame]

Not interested in any of the SF pitching prospects. Whisenhunt, Tidwell, Birdsong or anyone else. They are way more suspects than prospects. SF isn’t the best trade partner and really this thread was started because SF is constantly in the conversation as a destination for Donovan.

I’m sure SF would love to have Donovan, especially if the return to us is a package of their pitching prospects. To move Donovan the Cardinals have to get something back that helps us too! Their pitching sure doesn’t. It also doesn’t seem like they want to include Eldridge either. What do they have that would be of any interest to us.

Earlier in this thread I mentioned what I would be interested in. My proposal is if it has to be SF where Donovan goes then it has to be something like Gonzales (#2), Kilen (#3) and Davidson (#5) for Donovan and a lesser prospect. Romero or Nootbaar if they were interested. Not my favorite deal by a long shot but we at least get some value although there isn’t any immediate help. I doubt SF would be that interested because that takes a big chunk from their low rated farm system but I’m not interested in a Texas Rangers return of quantity over quality.

[Whatashame]

I just saw an article written about what SF offered for CJ Abrams from Washington. The offer was
#2 Gonzales SS
#4 Jhonny Level SS
#5 Davidson OF
#7 Whisenhunt P
#11 Bresnahan P

Apparently they were willing to empty their farm for Abrams who I’m not sure is better than Donovan. Abrams was a huge prospect but as time has shown us, he also has his warts. More speed but not as good of a hitter. Also is a defensive liability at SS and doesn’t have the defensive flexibility that Donovan has. IF that’s what was offered for Abrams, I’m assuming a similar offer has been made for Donovan.