1 last-minute trade Cardinals must make before spring training

With Chaim Bloom taking over as president of baseball operations, the St. Louis Cardinals have been having a fire sale. Most of their trades have come with the Boston Red Sox.

First, the Cardinals sent pitcher Sonny Gray to Boston. Then, the Red Sox acquired first baseman Willson Contreras. For Bloom, it makes sense to target Boston as a common trade partner. He spent four years with the franchise as their chief baseball operator. The now Cardinals boss has a strong understanding of what the Red Sox’s minor league system has to offer.

As St. Louis continues their offseason, there is one big elephant remaining in the room. Infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan’s name has been floated as a trade candidate since seemingly the end of the season. With so much smoke, it would be a shock if Donovan wasn’t ultimately dealt.

There will be plenty of suitors for the former All-Star’s services. But Bloom’s best option would be swinging another trade with the Red Sox, sending Donovan to Boston.

Cardinals must trade Brendan Donovan to Red Sox 

From the Red Sox’s point of view, they are now in need of another infielder. They whiffed on re-signing Alex Bregman and had previously traded away Rafael Devers. Acquiring Donovan means Boston could either play him at the hot corner or shift top prospect Marcelo Mayer to third with Donovan playing second base.

However the Red Sox were to cut it, the current Cardinals star would be a supreme asset in their lineup. Donovan is coming off of his first career All-Star nomination after hitting .287 with 10 home runs, 50 RBIs and three stolen bases. Over his entire four years in St. Louis, Donovan has hit .282 with 40 home runs, 202 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

While the Red Sox missed out on Bregman, they did sign starting pitcher Ranger Suarez to a five-year contract. Boston now has a surplus of pitching depth. As St. Louis continues to build their rotation of the future, they must find pitchers to build around.

With Bloom’s knowledge of the system, he would know exactly who to target in a Donovan deal. Boston isn’t going to just give talent away. But they now have the resources in place to trade from their wealth.

Another Red Sox-Cardinals trade may raise some eyebrows around the league. However, it is a win-win scenario for both players involved. Boston gets the final piece in their new-look infield. St. Louis in turn acquired some much-needed prospect capital.

The Red Sox won’t be the the only team calling about Donovan. But for the bet return possible, Bloom should pay attention to what they’re offering.

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