Brendan Donovan Could Be the Perfect Fit for the Blue Jays

[Sam Charles]

Cardinals' utility man Brendan Donovan isn’t just another name on the trade block. If fans were impressed by Ernie Clement last season, Donovan has the potential to outperform that output and then some from the other side of the plate.

A career .287 hitter with a .353 on-base percentage, he brings elite plate discipline (13% strikeout rate) and defensive versatility. He can play second base, third base and left field, giving the Jays insurance if injuries strike, or if Bo Bichette negotiations don’t pan out. More importantly, he’s a left-handed bat in a lineup that still leans right. His skills are ideally suited for this team and for October, when pitching gets nasty and contact hitters become gold.

Donovan’s name has been mentioned in nearly every trade conversation featuring contending teams, but his fit and the pieces to pry him from St. Louis are there for the Blue Jays.

With two years left of team control at $14 million, even the cost falls well within Toronto’s budget.

His tools are the likes that are highly sought after these days. He has elite plate discipline, high contact rates and can play just about anywhere. In addition, his skills at extending at-bats and ability to get on make him the type of Swiss Army knife that could make a difference with or without Bichette on the roster.

Last season, his first season as an all-star, Donovan had a wRC+ of 118, a WAR of 2.7, and an OPS vs RHP of .790 in 118 games.

His average exit velocity is 88mph (ok for a contact hitter), his hard-hit rate is 38%, but he makes up for that with his sprint speed, which is above average.

One of the Jays’ biggest weaknesses during the 2025 season was left-handed contact hitters. Daulton Varsho and Addison Barger were literally hit-or-miss. For that reason, the lineup was too boom-or-bust, especially versus southpaws. When home runs dried up, so did the offense. That’s where Donovan fills a big need.

St. Louis is cleaning house and working on a rebuild. It started with Sonny Gray to the Red Sox, and rumours are persisting about Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Donovan and others.

Ross Atkins and the Jays’ front office have made deals with the Cards in the past, including trading for Jordan Hicks and Génesis Cabrera in separate deals back in 2023.

This time around, the price would be steeper for a player of Donovan’s skills.

The price might be as high as pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann, but with the team’s win-now window, that might just be a reality.

Potential trade packages for Donovan could include Ricky Tiedemann (LHP), Joey Loperfido (OF), Gage Stanifer (RHP prospect) or Bowden Francis (SP), Addison Barger (INF/OF), and 2025 top pick JoJo Parker (SS prospect).

If the Jays could land Donovan, he could slide into the leadoff or two-hole in the lineup, preceded or followed by Bichette or Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Anthony Santander, Alejandro Kirk, Daulton Varsho, Ernie Clement, Addison Barger and Andrés Giménez. That would be a pretty potent offense for David Popkins to work with.

With Donovan at or near the top, the lineup becomes awfully dynamic. He lengthens at-bats, balances the lineup, and gives John Schneider flexibility to mix and match.

If the Jays can’t re-sign Bichette, then Donovan is the next best thing. His ability to work counts, spray line drives and set the table for the rest of the lineup is exactly what the team will need to succeed. If he enters a lineup with Bichette, then those skills will work to the Jays’ advantage by forcing opposing teams to go to their bullpens earlier in games.

ESPN predicts the likelihood of Donovan being traded as 75%, and has a long list of other teams interested in his services.

Championship teams often make one defining move. The Jays have already made their mark this offseason with the signing of Dylan Cease, but why stop there?

It isn’t always the big names that end up making the biggest splash. In 2016, the Cubs added Ben Zobrist. In 2021, the Braves grabbed Eddie Rosario. These weren’t headline-grabbing superstars, but they were versatile, clutch hitters who helped put their teams over the top.

Donovan fits that same mold. He’s not going to hit 40 home runs. He will grind out at-bats, move runners, and make the smart play.

If the price is Tiedemann, then so be it. Not every pitcher in the Jays’ system will be Trey Yesavage. With the signing of Cease, the Jays can afford to trade one of their pitching prospects. Prospects don’t always pan out. You only have to think back to Alek Manoah, who was drafted 11th overall in 2019. He had a handful of great seasons, then fizzled.

Donovan has proven that he can hold his own.

As we learned last season, down the stretch and into the postseason, important games come down to pitching duels and slim margins. Donovan’s contact-first approach is a weapon. He’s not here to hit massive home runs, but he will keep innings alive, force mistakes, and create chaos on the bases.

Trading for Donovan would also address two unknowns as the off-season continues. It fills the possible void if Bichette leaves, or it complements Bichette’s right-handed, contact-oriented bat with a left-handed contact-oriented bat. He and his on-base skills would help lengthen the lineup. Either way, it is win-win for the Jays.

Even from a positional perspective, Donovan’s defensive versatility enables the Jays to play around with the lineups. It also provides them with speed on the bases.

Last year’s Jays had a median age of 31.1. At 29, once the season starts, Donovan sits in a range that would suggest he’d fit well in the clubhouse.

The only possible flag against Donovan is whether or not he is durable. Foot and groin injuries sidelined him for more than 30 games in 2025. That can be a risk with any player, especially those at or approaching 30 years of age. 

With that said, anytime a team has a chance to add an all-star, they should consider it. If the Jays can swing a deal with the Cards, the message to MLB and the fanbase is the 2026 Blue Jays mean business. With that said, the Jays need to get in line quickly because it sounds like nearly every contending team will be on the phone with St. Louis trying to add Donovan to their roster.

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