Why Donovan Isn’t A Good Winter Trade Piece

[TheSolution]

As good of an all around ball player BD is.

As solid of a hitter he is, as versatile of a fielder he is.

Despite being an all-star last year.

He is NOT a household name and he is NOT in the upper echelon with the elites in the game.

His versatility and his scrappiness, his ‘winning’ dirtbag style of baseball is by far and away best served as trade bait at the deadline.

He is far and away not at his most value in December.

A real shame and another example of the damage from Mo’s ceremonial last year at the helm.

[Whatashame]

That may be how you feel but I think the baseball world looks at Donovan a little bit differently. No one says he’s an Aaron Judge or a Shohei Ohtani but there’s obviously a market for a player of Donovan’s pedigree. I’m as anxious as anyone to see how his market unfolds. I think now is the perfect time to move him IF that’s what the Cardinals want to do.

The thing is that the Cardinals don’t have to move him if they don’t want to. They put a value on him and if someone meets it great and if they can’t get what they think he’s worth then they don’t have to move him.

I mostly believe that if you are going to move a player, the winter is the best time while your options aren’t limited. I do think that with no deadlines that things sometimes drag on longer than we would like. My only question is will the Cardinals be able to get what they think he’s worth.

[AZ_Cardsfan]

I will disagree 100% with the OP. Donovan improves every team in baseball. No he is not the #3 hitter with 40 HR power. No he is not the Skubal ace pitcher. Those would bring a huge haul in trade. But Donovan day to day improves every team in baseball.

Every potential challenger for a title in 2026-2027 is improved at low cost adding Donovan. That cost part matters to most teams. And the longer they have him the more value he brings. Waiting until the break is a big mistake. There is no indication that he will suddenly break out and add value. There is more chance he will have a slow 1st half or get injured. I expect none of the above I expect the same level of performance.

They need to cash him in before spring training starts. I don't expect a "haul" but I do expect a prospect with a high ceiling and a wild card or two in return. This is the smart move. IMO.

[Jatalk]

That may be how you feel but I think the baseball world looks at Donovan a little bit differently. No one says he’s an Aaron Judge or a Shohei Ohtani but there’s obviously a market for a player of Donovan’s pedigree. I’m as anxious as anyone to see how his market unfolds. I think now is the perfect time to move him IF that’s what the Cardinals want to do.

The thing is that the Cardinals don’t have to move him if they don’t want to. They put a value on him and if someone meets it great and if they can’t get what they think he’s worth then they don’t have to move him.

I mostly believe that if you are going to move a player, the winter is the best time while your options aren’t limited. I do think that with no deadlines that things sometimes drag on longer than we would like. My only question is will the Cardinals be able to get what they think he’s worth.

I hope they hold out for his value.

You are correct. Baseball world knows value regardless of name value. Frankly there are few with name recognition that adds premium value. Also you are correct. Market for him is largest right now. Plus why risk possibility of injury in first half of season.

But I hope they hold out even if he stays a Cardinal.

[C-Unit]

It would all come down to what's on the table. You have to play the market you're given, not the market you want. You may be right waiting until the deadline might yield a few more teams interested that are not on the list as of now. But if there's an agreeable package on the table now I'd take it. We have no idea how many teams are actually calling in. There may actually be a lot, he should be understandably in demand. More valuable to a contender than us, and more valuable to us in terms of his return than his production. Trade him.

[AnExParrot]

I will disagree 100% with the OP. Donovan improves every team in baseball. No he is not the #3 hitter with 40 HR power. No he is not the Skubal ace pitcher. Those would bring a huge haul in trade. But Donovan day to day improves every team in baseball.

Every potential challenger for a title in 2026-2027 is improved at low cost adding Donovan. That cost part matters to most teams. And the longer they have him the more value he brings. Waiting until the break is a big mistake. There is no indication that he will suddenly break out and add value. There is more chance he will have a slow 1st half or get injured. I expect none of the above I expect the same level of performance.

They need to cash him in before spring training starts. I don't expect a "haul" but I do expect a prospect with a high ceiling and a wild card or two in return. This is the smart move. IMO.

Every word of this^

[scoutyjones2]

I think you all will be disappointed

[Talkin' Baseball]

I think you all will be disappointed

I could see that- expectations are pretty high.

[82birds]

That may be how you feel but I think the baseball world looks at Donovan a little bit differently. No one says he’s an Aaron Judge or a Shohei Ohtani but there’s obviously a market for a player of Donovan’s pedigree. I’m as anxious as anyone to see how his market unfolds. I think now is the perfect time to move him IF that’s what the Cardinals want to do.

The thing is that the Cardinals don’t have to move him if they don’t want to. They put a value on him and if someone meets it great and if they can’t get what they think he’s worth then they don’t have to move him.

I mostly believe that if you are going to move a player, the winter is the best time while your options aren’t limited. I do think that with no deadlines that things sometimes drag on longer than we would like. My only question is will the Cardinals be able to get what they think he’s worth.

agree
well said

[Melville]

No team needs Donovan more than STL does.
The CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION is to keep him at least until July and extend him before then if possible.
He needs to move to LF and act as depth insurance at 3b/2b/SS for at least the first 100 games in 2026.
STL should float Mootbaar, Walker, Romero, Bernal, Mathews, Hence, Saggese as trade pieces.
Put together a package from that group to acquire the RH outfield bat I alone have been correctly calling for each and every year over the past decade.
But, it seems Bloom is dead set on doing the wrong thing and appears on the verge of moving Donovan.
It will be his 2nd significant mistake.
That said, he has made some good moves so far and I cannot reasonably expect him or anyone to match my own record of performance in analyzing the best course of action.
Let's see what happens.

[C-Unit]

I think you all will be disappointed

I could see that- expectations are pretty high.

I could see it too

[Carp4Cy]

No team needs Donovan more than STL does.
The CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION is to keep him at least until July and extend him before then if possible.
He needs to move to LF and act as depth insurance at 3b/2b/SS for at least the first 100 games in 2026.
STL should float Mootbaar, Walker, Romero, Bernal, Mathews, Hence, Saggese as trade pieces.
Put together a package from that group to acquire the RH outfield bat I alone have been correctly calling for each and every year over the past decade.
But, it seems Bloom is dead set on doing the wrong thing and appears on the verge of moving Donovan.
It will be his 2nd significant mistake.
That said, he has made some good moves so far and I cannot reasonably expect him or anyone to match my own record of performance in analyzing the best course of action.
Let's see what happens.

What level of RHH are you targeting? Matthews and Bernal have a lot of upside so we’d need a commensurate return. Andy Pages?

Also what was Blooms first mistake ? Oli?

[ICCFIM2]

No team needs Donovan more than STL does.
The CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION is to keep him at least until July and extend him before then if possible.
He needs to move to LF and act as depth insurance at 3b/2b/SS for at least the first 100 games in 2026.
STL should float Mootbaar, Walker, Romero, Bernal, Mathews, Hence, Saggese as trade pieces.
Put together a package from that group to acquire the RH outfield bat I alone have been correctly calling for each and every year over the past decade.
But, it seems Bloom is dead set on doing the wrong thing and appears on the verge of moving Donovan.
It will be his 2nd significant mistake.
That said, he has made some good moves so far and I cannot reasonably expect him or anyone to match my own record of performance in analyzing the best course of action.
Let's see what happens.

Bernal should be the catcher of the future. Herrera can be the RF bat they need in the OF. They still need another bat after that. I don't tknow that any of the other pieces you suggest get said bat because they are all depth pieces. The reason to trade Donovan is you might get two shots at a bat prospect, for example getting both Montoya and Montes from Seattle if the Cards include Romero in that deal. I am also fine with the Cards keeping Donovan. In which case, they will need to add via the free agent route since their OF prospects outside of Josh Baez are terrible.

[Carp4Cy]

That may be how you feel but I think the baseball world looks at Donovan a little bit differently. No one says he’s an Aaron Judge or a Shohei Ohtani but there’s obviously a market for a player of Donovan’s pedigree. I’m as anxious as anyone to see how his market unfolds. I think now is the perfect time to move him IF that’s what the Cardinals want to do.

The thing is that the Cardinals don’t have to move him if they don’t want to. They put a value on him and if someone meets it great and if they can’t get what they think he’s worth then they don’t have to move him.

I mostly believe that if you are going to move a player, the winter is the best time while your options aren’t limited. I do think that with no deadlines that things sometimes drag on longer than we would like. My only question is will the Cardinals be able to get what they think he’s worth.

The trouble would be IF management feels like the HAVE to trade him or lose “value” in future windows. Then they might back themselves into an underwhelming return and justify it as better than nothing or better than waiting until he’s close to a FA.

But if they keep the extension option on the table then yes we are in a good position to either demand back more future value than Donny would provide or keep him.

[Talkin' Baseball]

No team needs Donovan more than STL does.
The CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION is to keep him at least until July and extend him before then if possible.
He needs to move to LF and act as depth insurance at 3b/2b/SS for at least the first 100 games in 2026.
STL should float Mootbaar, Walker, Romero, Bernal, Mathews, Hence, Saggese as trade pieces.
Put together a package from that group to acquire the RH outfield bat I alone have been correctly calling for each and every year over the past decade.
But, it seems Bloom is dead set on doing the wrong thing and appears on the verge of moving Donovan.
It will be his 2nd significant mistake.
That said, he has made some good moves so far and I cannot reasonably expect him or anyone to match my own record of performance in analyzing the best course of action.
Let's see what happens.

Always enjoy hearing your take on things, but we are far, far apart on this one.

[ecleme22]

As good of an all around ball player BD is.

As solid of a hitter he is, as versatile of a fielder he is.

Despite being an all-star last year.

He is NOT a household name and he is NOT in the upper echelon with the elites in the game.

His versatility and his scrappiness, his ‘winning’ dirtbag style of baseball is by far and away best served as trade bait at the deadline.

He is far and away not at his most value in December.

A real shame and another example of the damage from Mo’s ceremonial last year at the helm.

I’m sure every MLB GM’s household knows more about BD than you do.