SI Pressnell: Cards hit big , landed huge return

[ramfandan]

https://www.si.com/mlb/cardinals/onsi/s ... rade-zach3

sub headline is : The Cardinals and their fan base should be very happy with the return in the Brendan Donovan trade...


This SI writer Zach Pressnell liked the deal . We will see what other media members write about the deal .
Anybody else add reports/ stories ? pro or con on how the Cardinals did in this trade.

[ramfandan]

CBS Sports weighs in on Donovan deal with 'trade grades ' Cardinals get A grade Seattle B

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/bren ... nals-rays/

Cardinals grade: A

Cijntje, 22, was the 15th pick in the 2024 draft. CBS Sports just ranked him as the 44th-best prospect in the minors. Here's the extent of his writeup:


Cijntje, best known for being a switch-pitcher who can clear 90 mph with either arm, was Seattle's first-round pick in 2024. He reached Double-A in his first full professional season despite some underwhelming numbers that make it clear his future is exclusively as a right-hander. Indeed, he surrendered a .618 OPS and recorded a nearly 20% strikeout-minus-walk rate throwing righty, as opposed to 1.117 OPS and more walks than strikeouts as a lefty. Cijntje will be just dandy when and if he gives up on the novelty act: he has a sneaky good right-handed fastball as well as a swing-and-miss breaker that ought to result in a middle-of-the-rotation future.

Cijntje joins a vastly improved group of Cardinals pitching prospects. Dating back to last summer, they've now drafted Liam Doyle and added Cijntje, Hunter Dobbins, Richard Fitts, Yhoiker Fajardo, Brandon Clarke, Blake Aita, and Jack Martinez to the organization through trades. Clearly they had a desire to upgrade their pitching depth without having to pay for it on the free-agent market.

Peete, 20, was the 30th pick in the 2023 Draft. He's a lefty-swinging outfielder with dynamic power-speed upside, but usability continues to be an issue -- specifically with respect to a nearly 33% whiff rate. Last year in High-A, he hit .217/.288/.404 with 19 home runs and 25 stolen bases in 125 games. Peete's game is centered on pulling and lifting the ball. If he can make contact a little more frequently, he has a chance to make an impact at the big-league level.

Ledbetter, 24, was the 55th pick in the 2023 Draft by way of Mississippi State. He spent last season in Double-A, hitting .265/.337/.378 with seven home runs and 37 stolen bases. Ledbetter, a left-handed swinger, has struggled with same-handed pitching throughout his professional career. He's a capable athlete who can play across the outfield, though he's best deployed in a corner spot. Add those sentences together and you have a player who is probably topping out as a spare outfielder.

The two compensatory pick should check in around Nos. 68 and 72. In total, that gives the Cardinals five picks in the top 72 overall in the 2026 Draft.



Mariners grade: B

Just last week, three members of our baseball staff predicted Donovan would end up on the Mariners before spring training started. Sometimes, player-team fits are too obvious to actually happen. That looked like it might end up being the case here, with Donovan's tenure in St. Louis stretching deeper into the offseason than most would have expected back in November. That's life for you.

The 29-year-old Donovan is a compelling fit for the Mariners because of his offensive track record and his defensive versatility. In four big-league seasons, he's yet to produce an OPS+ below 114. Last year's Mariners club, a 90-win team that almost won the pennant, had just four players clear that mark in more than 300 trips to the plate. Donovan's offensive game is built around discipline and contact. He's comfortable working at-bats and he's connected on more than 90% of the in-zone swings he's taken as a big-league player. When he puts a ball in play, it's usually on a line and often classified as being hit hard. That's a good combination, and he should continue to find success despite now playing his home games in the least friendly offensive environment in the sport for left-handed batters, per Statcast.

[TraveledLessRoad]

Microsoft Co-Pilot also liked it:

Verdict: Did the Cardinals Do Well?

Yes — this is a strong return for a rebuilding club.

Here’s why:
✔ They maximized Donovan’s peak value
Trading him after an All‑Star season with 2 years of control left is optimal.
[fansided.com]
✔ They addressed their biggest organizational weakness: pitching
Cijntje is the type of high‑upside arm they’ve lacked for years.
[cbssports.com]
✔ They added multiple young, controllable assets
Peete and Ledbetter bring both ceiling and depth.
✔ Two extra draft picks accelerate the rebuild
Bloom’s goal has been clear: rebuild the farm and open a path for top prospect JJ Wetherholt, now the likely 2026 second baseman.
[cbssports.com]

Final Assessment
The Cardinals did very well.
For a team not planning to contend in the next two years, they turned one versatile All‑Star into:

A near‑MLB‑ready pitching prospect with real upside
A high‑tools outfield lottery pick
Additional outfield depth
Two valuable draft picks

This is the kind of multi‑asset return that can reshape the next competitive core.

[Ozziesfan41]

CBS Sports weighs in on Donovan deal with 'trade grades ' Cardinals get A grade Seattle B

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/bren ... nals-rays/

Cardinals grade: A

Cijntje, 22, was the 15th pick in the 2024 draft. CBS Sports just ranked him as the 44th-best prospect in the minors. Here's the extent of his writeup:


Cijntje, best known for being a switch-pitcher who can clear 90 mph with either arm, was Seattle's first-round pick in 2024. He reached Double-A in his first full professional season despite some underwhelming numbers that make it clear his future is exclusively as a right-hander. Indeed, he surrendered a .618 OPS and recorded a nearly 20% strikeout-minus-walk rate throwing righty, as opposed to 1.117 OPS and more walks than strikeouts as a lefty. Cijntje will be just dandy when and if he gives up on the novelty act: he has a sneaky good right-handed fastball as well as a swing-and-miss breaker that ought to result in a middle-of-the-rotation future.

Cijntje joins a vastly improved group of Cardinals pitching prospects. Dating back to last summer, they've now drafted Liam Doyle and added Cijntje, Hunter Dobbins, Richard Fitts, Yhoiker Fajardo, Brandon Clarke, Blake Aita, and Jack Martinez to the organization through trades. Clearly they had a desire to upgrade their pitching depth without having to pay for it on the free-agent market.

Peete, 20, was the 30th pick in the 2023 Draft. He's a lefty-swinging outfielder with dynamic power-speed upside, but usability continues to be an issue -- specifically with respect to a nearly 33% whiff rate. Last year in High-A, he hit .217/.288/.404 with 19 home runs and 25 stolen bases in 125 games. Peete's game is centered on pulling and lifting the ball. If he can make contact a little more frequently, he has a chance to make an impact at the big-league level.

Ledbetter, 24, was the 55th pick in the 2023 Draft by way of Mississippi State. He spent last season in Double-A, hitting .265/.337/.378 with seven home runs and 37 stolen bases. Ledbetter, a left-handed swinger, has struggled with same-handed pitching throughout his professional career. He's a capable athlete who can play across the outfield, though he's best deployed in a corner spot. Add those sentences together and you have a player who is probably topping out as a spare outfielder.

The two compensatory pick should check in around Nos. 68 and 72. In total, that gives the Cardinals five picks in the top 72 overall in the 2026 Draft.



Mariners grade: B

Just last week, three members of our baseball staff predicted Donovan would end up on the Mariners before spring training started. Sometimes, player-team fits are too obvious to actually happen. That looked like it might end up being the case here, with Donovan's tenure in St. Louis stretching deeper into the offseason than most would have expected back in November. That's life for you.

The 29-year-old Donovan is a compelling fit for the Mariners because of his offensive track record and his defensive versatility. In four big-league seasons, he's yet to produce an OPS+ below 114. Last year's Mariners club, a 90-win team that almost won the pennant, had just four players clear that mark in more than 300 trips to the plate. Donovan's offensive game is built around discipline and contact. He's comfortable working at-bats and he's connected on more than 90% of the in-zone swings he's taken as a big-league player. When he puts a ball in play, it's usually on a line and often classified as being hit hard. That's a good combination, and he should continue to find success despite now playing his home games in the least friendly offensive environment in the sport for left-handed batters, per Statcast.

We will see if they can work the same magic with peete they did with Baez in cutting down his strike outs.

[zuck698]

Microsoft Co-Pilot also liked it:

Verdict: Did the Cardinals Do Well?

Yes — this is a strong return for a rebuilding club.

Here’s why:
✔ They maximized Donovan’s peak value
Trading him after an All‑Star season with 2 years of control left is optimal.
[fansided.com]
✔ They addressed their biggest organizational weakness: pitching
Cijntje is the type of high‑upside arm they’ve lacked for years.
[cbssports.com]
✔ They added multiple young, controllable assets
Peete and Ledbetter bring both ceiling and depth.
✔ Two extra draft picks accelerate the rebuild
Bloom’s goal has been clear: rebuild the farm and open a path for top prospect JJ Wetherholt, now the likely 2026 second baseman.
[cbssports.com]

Final Assessment
The Cardinals did very well.
For a team not planning to contend in the next two years, they turned one versatile All‑Star into:

A near‑MLB‑ready pitching prospect with real upside
A high‑tools outfield lottery pick
Additional outfield depth
Two valuable draft picks

This is the kind of multi‑asset return that can reshape the next competitive core.

Hated to see BD go, but as I said in another post, we got 6 brand new lottery tickets for the price of 1 expiring ticket. BD was not going to get us to the promised land, and Bill certainly wasn't going to give him a long term extension at this point. I like the trade, but obviously, it will be years before anyone knows who really came out on top. I like the gamble here.

[craviduce]

Baseball America analysis

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... ys-report/

The Mariners entered the offseason with several holes in their lineup. After a reported three-team trade on Monday, they now head to spring training with what should be one of the better rosters in the American League.

Seattle acquired the versatile Brendan Donovan, a 2025 all-star, in a three-team trade that sends multiple prospects to the Cardinals. The Rays turned it into a three-team deal to acquire Mariners third baseman Ben Williamson, who was rendered somewhat surplus by the acquisition of Donovan.

Donovan has played second and third base, shortstop and left and right field in the majors. He most likely fits at third base for the Mariners, but his versatility is quite useful. If Cole Young doesn’t establish himself at second base, Donovan could fit there with top prospect Colt Emerson moving up later in the season. Similarly, if there’s an injury in the outfield, Donovan could play there as needed.

The Cardinals’ rebuild has now reached its logical conclusion. JJ Wetherholt, Baseball America’s No. 3 prospect, should now be St. Louis’ everyday second baseman, with Nolan Gorman sliding into his more natural third base position. The Cardinals’ lineup should now have six players who are 25 or younger and no one older than 28.

The Rays acquired a solid defensive third baseman in Williamson, but he will have to hit for average to make a solid offensive contribution, as he lacks power.

MARINERS RECEIVE
Brendan Donovan, INF
Age: 29

Donovan is one of the Cardinals’ biggest scouting wins over the last decade. A seventh-round pick in 2018 out of South Alabama, Donovan developed into a valuable multi-positional player as a pro.

Donovan broke into the Cardinals’ lineup in 2022, hitting .281/.394/.379. Over the next three seasons, he established himself as the heart and soul of the Cardinals. He won a gold glove in 2022 for the newly established utility position and was selected as an all-star for the first time in 2025 after hitting .297/.367/.430.

Donovan offers advanced contact ability and approach with multi-positional experience. He hasn’t hit for much power throughout his career and is unlikely to see his impact grow in Seattle, but he’s posted OPS+ marks of 124, 114, 114 and 119 in his four MLB seasons. Donovan has always hit and gotten on-base.

Donovan has two seasons remaining on his contract and will reach free agency for the first time following the 2027 season. He should immediately provide the Mariners a top-of-the-order option who can produce runs and provide speed on the bases, while giving Seattle the ability to handle injuries at multiple positions because of Donovan’s versatility.

CARDINALS ACQUIRE
Jurrangelo Cijntje, SHP
Age: 22

Cijntje has drawn attention as a pitcher for his rare ambidextrous throwing ability. While the novelty has fueled much of the hype, his effectiveness is far more pronounced from the right side. That reality became clear before the 2026 season when the Mariners indicated plans for the 22-year-old to pitch exclusively righthanded in game action in spring training even though he’s naturally lefthanded.

As a righthander, Cijntje does a strong job working his fastball to the glove side, setting up his slider and using it to finish hitters. He’ll flash a low-80s curveball and an upper-80s changeup, but both are used sparingly and mostly as situational weapons, especially against lefthanded hitters.

Overall, Cijntje’s command and strike-throwing are noticeably better from the right side, reinforcing where his arsenal plays best. From the left side, opponents have hit .284/.531/.577 against him, hitting nine home runs while striking out only nine times compared to 19 walks. By contrast, righthanded hitters have managed just a .209/.298/.364 line. Cijntje is especially effective in right-on-right matchups, limiting righty hitters to .166/.224/.256 while piling up 73 strikeouts against just nine walks.

Tai Peete, OF
Age: 20

Originally drafted as a shortstop in 2023, Peete’s athleticism has prompted a full-time move to center field, where he has adapted well defensively. The bat, however, remains a work in progress. After posting a .269/.343/.408 line in Low-A Modesto, his first exposure to High-A Everett in 2025 presented a steeper challenge, as he struggled to a .217/.288/.404 line.

Swing-and-miss remains the defining concern in Peete’s offensive profile, largely due to an approach that favors power over contact. He has struck out 162 times in consecutive seasons, highlighting the persistence of the issue. In 2025, he posted a 32% overall miss rate, driven by a 25.3% in-zone miss rate and a 27% chase rate that point to both bat-to-ball and pitch-recognition limitations. Breaking balls are Peete’s biggest challenge, particularly when expanded below the zone, though he has shown the ability to handle velocity. Until the contact rates improve, consistent access to his power will remain limited.

Colton Ledbetter, OF
Age: 24

Ledbetter was the Rays’ second-round pick in 2023 coming out of Mississippi State. He has hovered just off of the team’s Top 30 for each of the past two seasons, although the Rays’ many trades this offseason had moved him further down the depth chart.

Ledbetter’s production so far has not matched his analytical data. He hits the ball reasonably hard, posting a 104 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and 114 mph max exit velocity in 2025. But he also hit just seven home runs with a .113 isolated power mark in the Southern League. After striking out 28% of the time in 2024, he posted a much more sustainable 24% in 2025, but at the expense of power production.

While Ledbetter is primarily a right fielder, an organization with fewer defensive demands could move him back to center more regularly.

Ledbetter is a well-rounded multi-position outfielder who draws walks, but he’s going to need to tap into more power production to project as a big league outfielder.

The Cardinals also acquired a pair of competitive balance round B picks from the Rays and Mariners in the trade.

RAYS ACQUIRE
Ben Williamson, 3B
Age: 25

Williamson got a chance to be the Mariners’ everyday third baseman in 2025, but the team realized it needed more, and acquired Eugenio Suarez at the trade deadline, sending Williamson back to Triple-A.

Across his minor league career, Williamson posted a .291/.377/.415 line with nine home runs and 116 RBIs across 188 games. In 85 major league games, he hit .253/.294/.310.

In the minors, Williamson showed a consistent ability to make contact and is difficult to put away, frequently spoiling quality pitches. Williamson is a pest at the plate, willing to work deep counts and expand the zone when necessary. His bat speed is below average and he has well-below-average power. Even when he makes contact, pitchers don’t have much to fear.

Defensively, Williamson is promising at third base. He played some shortstop in the minors. While Statcast rated him above-average as far as range in his MLB debut, other analytical systems were less optimistic. He should be at least average defensively with a fringe-average arm, but he needs to hit more to be a long-term regular.

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if this was posted elsewhere, sorry. Thought I'd add it to this thread.