Welcome back to the 2025-26 edition of Smash or Pass, in which we examine potential free agent and trade targets to determine whether the Red Sox should pursue them and what it would take to land them. Next up, a (mostly) second baseman who may or may not be on the trading block.
Who is he and where does he come from?
Brendan Donovan is a utility player (primarily second baseman) who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals. About to turn 29 on January 16, he was born in Germany while his father was stationed there, and grew up an Army brat, moving around. He’s credited that upbringing for forging his team-first mentality, his desire to always do the right thing, and his willingness to work hard. He’s an alum of the Cape Cod League, playing for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. He’s versatile enough to have played all positions in his MLB careers, with the exception of pitcher and catcher. Like Triston Casas, he throws right- and bats left-handed. In his rookie season in 2022, he won the Gold Glove at second base and placed third in National League Rookie of the Year voting.
In 2025, he was an All Star.
He doesn’t chase, whiff, or strike out much. His strikeout rate was just 13% in 2025, well below the MLB average. He drives up counts, extends at-bats, and in the end, he gets on base. While not a power hitter, he can, and does, hit the ball everywhere.
His Outs Above Average in 2025 was 2—when playing second base, anyway. It was -2 from left field, but that’s okay, since the Red Sox have so many outfielders anyway. They want him as an infielder, if they want him at all. He’s not particularly known for athleticism or speed, but for being steady and reliable. He had just four errors in 2025.
TL;DR, just give me his 2025 stats
He was good for 2.9 WAR over 118 games in 2025, with a slash line of .287/.353/.422. He hit 10 HR, with 50 RBI, and stole three bases. That BA is a career-best, and the SLG ties his career-best.
Why would he be a good fit for the Red Sox?
Our infield still is a complete mystery. To wit:
- There’s a spot open at third base, which Alex Bregman is not going fill.
- Last year’s Opening Day second baseman, who disappeared into the minors for most of 2025, may now be permanently destined for the outfield, and no one has emerged to reliably man second base for more than a game or two at a time.
- Marcelo Mayer is still an unknown at this point in his big-league career. Could he step up to play second if the Sox sign a third baseman? Could he take over third, if they didn’t? Will a late-season injury shut him down early again? Does he have the bat?
With his love of utility players and matchups, Alex Cora may believe that David Hamilton, Nick Sogard, and Romy Gonzalez have second base covered, but it doesn’t look that way to me. The Sox need some stability in the infield and Donovan could be that guy.
Also, wouldn’t it be great to have a little of the old-style, dirty-uniform mentality? Donovan seems to bring that, and it would be a beautiful thing to take up the legacy of Dustin Pedroia in that way.
Why wouldn’t he be a good fit on the Red Sox?
Although he’ll be 100% for spring training next month, there’s some concern about injury with Donovan. He played 118 games in 2025 due to a foot injury, then a lingering groin strain that finally ended his season a little early and necessitated hernia surgery. In 2024, he played 153 games—his high-water mark and a strong rebound from 2023, when he was limited to 95 and needed an early exit to the season due to surgery for a flexor strain in his elbow.
He’s another left-handed bat, and he’s not the proverbial big bat the Sox have said they’re looking for. The Monster won’t be much of a factor since the power Donovan does display tends toward right field.
What would it take to get him?
The first question is whether or not Donovan is available; he’s not a free agent. He just agreed to $5.8M with the Cardinals in 2026, avoiding arbitration, and is under team control in St. Louis for two more seasons. The Cardinals are rebuilding, and Craig Breslow and Chaim Bloom have so far enjoyed a productive relationship; do they have one more trade in them this offseason?
With Ketel Marte apparently coming off the market this week, that seemingly makes Donovan’s stock go up, along with his price. MLB.com thinks he could command two top 10 prospects, but this could become a waiting game to see if the price drops. A week ago, when Ketel Marte was still in the mix to some degree, Sports Illustrated hypothesized that the two top-10 prospects could be Mikey Romero and David Sandlin. I feel like Sandlin will hurt a little bit, as much as I’m a fan of using the minor league system to improve the major league team. Maybe I’m going soft, becoming a prospect hoarder myself. A local (to me) Mariners blog called out the Cardinals’ “absurd valuation” which makes me laugh but which is also probably not wrong? I don’t know what it’ll take, I’m always wrong about this, and we inch closer to spring training every day, so who knows?
This is all part of the wonderful mystery of faith that we call the offseason.
I love defense and infield dirt on a uniform. Here’s some of both.
Smash, for the right price—though I’m pretty sure there’s a wide gulf between my right price and John Henry’s. I’ve been vocal about my belief that the Sox need to stabilize the infield, and Donovan could be that defensive player at second base. With the bat, he gets on base and displays some nice pop from time to time. There’s a lot to like here. I think the asking price is probably out of range for the front office, but that won’t stop me from wanting to see it happen.
