MLB Off-season 2025-'26 (Cardinals)

[Fan_In_NY]

Yeah, he’s one of those guys like a Ben Zobrist that are extremely valuable for a contending team, while not being a star caliber player.

But if we trade him, woof that is a really, really terrible lineup.

Might need to add one more "really" in there - even with Donovan. Baseball Reference had him as the Cardinals top player last year in terms of WAR with 2.7. The last time the Cards had a top player worse than that in a non-strike/COVID shortened season was Mordeci 3 Fingers Brown in 1903. The Cards only had one non-shortened year in the last 120 years that they had a leader in the 3's of WAR and that was Darrel Porter in 1983.

[MrCrowesGarden]

He is legitimately versatile though. Which boosts his value. Plug and play in IF and corner OF. They should get a fantastic return.

Sure. But a top 10 prospect seems unreasonable. I’d love to be wrong.

[Famous Mortimer]

He is legitimately versatile though. Which boosts his value. Plug and play in IF and corner OF. They should get a fantastic return.

I feel like a lot of you are going to be unprepared for some disappointment.

[phins]

He is legitimately versatile though. Which boosts his value. Plug and play in IF and corner OF. They should get a fantastic return.

Sure. But a top 10 prospect seems unreasonable. I’d love to be wrong.

They aren't getting a top-10 prospect. But they should get a very good return.

[MrCrowesGarden]

He is legitimately versatile though. Which boosts his value. Plug and play in IF and corner OF. They should get a fantastic return.

Sure. But a top 10 prospect seems unreasonable. I’d love to be wrong.

They aren't getting a top-10 prospect. But they should get a very good return.

I fully agree with this.

[jack76]

He is legitimately versatile though. Which boosts his value. Plug and play in IF and corner OF. They should get a fantastic return.

Sure. But a top 10 prospect seems unreasonable. I’d love to be wrong.

They aren't getting a top-10 prospect. But they should get a very good return.

Would Kade Anderson be unreasonable in your opinion?

[phins]

He is legitimately versatile though. Which boosts his value. Plug and play in IF and corner OF. They should get a fantastic return.

Sure. But a top 10 prospect seems unreasonable. I’d love to be wrong.

They aren't getting a top-10 prospect. But they should get a very good return.

Would Kade Anderson be unreasonable in your opinion?

I'd say it's doubtful. Teams simply do not give up their mega prospects these days. Typically it's reserved for a Soto with multiple years trade.

Donovan is a nice player, who will probably bring back a top-100 type prospect and a mother good prospect. They might get some sugar because he's a versatile piece who fits with any club.

If you can go for a Kade Anderson or Ryan Sloan centered package, you probably pull the trigger.

Most likely, it's a lighter deal than that.

[ghostrunner]

Most of the chatter I've read/heard is more like a couple top 100s, or top 10 from an organization.

Woo's article mentioned Laz Montes and Jurrangelo Cintje from Seattle, which would fit that. Montes is #29 on MLB's top 100 and Cintje is 90. I think she said the Cardinals had asked about them, not that they were necessarily likely.

BK and Ferrario had a writer from Seattle on last week and she mentioned Cintje and then Michael Arroyo as more likely than Montes, who's #63 on MLB. Her take was that someone like Colt Emerson or Anderson was more likely a return for someone like Marte.

[phins]

Most of the chatter I've read/heard is more like a couple top 100s, or top 10 from an organization.

Woo's article mentioned Laz Montes and Jurrangelo Cintje from Seattle, which would fit that. Montes is #29 on MLB's top 100 and Cintje is 90. I think she said the Cardinals had asked about them, not that they were necessarily likely.

BK and Ferrario had a writer from Seattle on last week and she mentioned Cintje and then Michael Arroyo as more likely than Montes, who's #63 on MLB. Her take was that someone like Colt Emerson or Anderson was more likely a return for someone like Marte.

I don't really love Montes and I'm not in on Arroyo as a regular.

For my own personal evaluations, Montes and Cintje are two nice prospects but a clear tier below the Kade Anderson, Ryan Sloan, Colt Emerson prospects.

When we talk about prospects, very few are projected stars. Those guys aren't traded. From there it's a lot of variance. Donovan himself wasn't a huge prospect.

And a team's top-10 prospect can be a "nice" prospect.

Tink Hence, Tekoah Roby, Yhoniker are all top-10 prospects for the Cardinals and I wouldn't be overly excited to add them. I'd probably be more excited with Dobbins than those guys due to proximity.

Just so few needle movers to me. But the Cardinals aren't trying to win so you have to move Donovan as soon as you get an above the bar offer in my mind.

[WAR God]

If the best part of the package is the 87th ranked prospect in baseball, there’s no reason to trade him.