Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow could be running out of options to upgrade his lineup for the 2026 season.
Plan A for Breslow is re-signing third baseman Alex Bregman.
Plan B appears to be signing free-agent shortstop Bo Bichette.
But what happens if Breslow is down 0-2 in the count?
For Plan C, he might decide to give Chaim Bloom another call. The former Red Sox head honcho is now the St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations and is said to be shopping infielder Brendan Donovan.
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Twice this offseason Breslow and Bloom have completed deals, with Boston acquiring right-hander Sonny Gray and first baseman Willson Contreras.
It’s no secret among MLB insiders that the Cardinals also want to trade Donovan. But The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon report teams talking to St. Louis have hit a roadblock.
“Why have the Cardinals not yet traded Donovan, the player who can bring them the most in a deal? It comes down to a difference in perceived value,” Rosenthal and Sammon write.
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“The Cardinals view Donovan as a star player while not all clubs see him that way, according to people briefed on the conversations.
“Donovan, who turns 29 this month, offers many appealing qualities, from his swing decisions to his bat-to-ball skills, his defensive versatility to his makeup,” Rosenthal and Sammon add.
“Donovan also is under club control for only two more seasons, the second of which is threatened by a lockout. The Kansas City Royals remain among the teams interested, but if the Cardinals prefer premium young bats, the Seattle Mariners are perhaps the best fit,” Rosenthal and Sammon conclude.
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Donovan made his MLB debut in 2022 and finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting while winning a Gold Glove Award.
He was an All-Star in 2025, when Donovan hit a career-high .287 with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs in 118 games.
Last month, Rosenthal and Sammon reported Donovan was on the Red Sox’s radar.
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“The Cardinals and Red Sox also have discussed a trade that would send infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan to Boston, according to people briefed on the conversations. Donovan likely would play second base for the Red Sox, who have also been linked to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte.”
Donovan has seen playing time at both second and third base, as well as left field.
