{"id":134253,"date":"2026-01-04T14:13:52","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T14:13:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=134253"},"modified":"2026-01-04T14:13:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T14:13:52","slug":"cardinals-playing-hard-ball-in-brendan-donovan-trade-talks-all-or-nothing-demand-could-force-teams-to-overpay-big-or-walk-away-empty-handed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=134253","title":{"rendered":"Cardinals Playing HARD BALL in Brendan Donovan Trade Talks: All-or-Nothing Demand Could Force Teams to Overpay BIG \u2013 Or Walk Away Empty-Handed?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Projecting<\/p>\n

Cardinals Holding Firm on Brendan Donovan Trade Talks – And They Should Be<\/strong><\/p>\n

When it comes to trade negotiations, Chaim Bloom isn’t blinking – and right now, that\u2019s playing directly into the Cardinals\u2019 hands. Brendan Donovan remains one of the most talked-about names on the market this offseason, but don\u2019t mistake buzz for urgency in St.<\/p>\n

Louis. The Cardinals know exactly what they have, and they\u2019re not about to sell short.<\/p>\n

From the start of the offseason, the message out of St. Louis has been clear: Donovan is available, but only at a premium price.<\/p>\n

And while it\u2019s common for teams to float high asking prices early and then quietly lower them as talks progress, that\u2019s not what\u2019s happening here. According to ESPN\u2019s Jeff Passan, the Cardinals haven\u2019t budged – and they don\u2019t plan to.<\/p>\n

\u201cNope. And it\u2019s not going to,\u201d Passan said when asked if Donovan\u2019s price had come down.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe Cardinals do not need to trade Brendan Donovan. They can move him at the deadline.<\/p>\n

They can move him next winter. His consistency is among his best attributes, and his value is unlikely to crater between now and then.<\/p>\n

So Chaim Bloom should do exactly what he\u2019s doing: set an extremely high asking price and know that teams valuing flexibility will continue wanting him.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the key here: the Cardinals aren\u2019t in a position of desperation. They don\u2019t have<\/em> to move Donovan. And that leverage is everything.<\/p>\n

Donovan\u2019s Value Is Real – And Rising<\/h3>\n

\"Cardinals<\/p>\n

Donovan is arguably the Cardinals\u2019 most attractive trade chip, and they\u2019re treating him like it. With two years of club control remaining, his value isn\u2019t just tied to what he\u2019s done – it\u2019s also about what he could still become.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s a reliable, versatile player with a high floor and, according to many evaluators, still has room to grow offensively. That\u2019s a rare combination.<\/p>\n

And the market is shifting in St. Louis\u2019 favor.<\/p>\n

With the Diamondbacks signaling that Ketel Marte is likely off the table, the pool of available high-impact infielders just got a little shallower. That puts more pressure on teams looking to upgrade – and gives Bloom even more leverage.<\/p>\n

Teams like the Red Sox, Mariners, Giants, Royals, Yankees, Guardians, and Astros have all been linked to Donovan at various points. That\u2019s not just smoke – that\u2019s a fire that could heat up quickly if one of those clubs decides they need to act before someone else does.<\/p>\n

Why the Cardinals Can Afford to Wait<\/h3>\n

This is where the Cardinals\u2019 position becomes even stronger. They already boast one of the top farm systems in the game.<\/p>\n

So while adding more young talent is always a plus, it\u2019s not a necessity. They\u2019re not in a rebuild – they\u2019re trying to build a contender.<\/p>\n

And Donovan, whether as a trade piece or a contributor on the field, fits into that plan.<\/p>\n

Even if Donovan\u2019s team control starts to dwindle after Opening Day, his value isn\u2019t likely to plummet. If anything, a strong first half could boost his stock even further. And if the Cardinals don\u2019t get the return they\u2019re looking for now, they can revisit the market at the trade deadline or next winter with just as much – if not more – leverage.<\/p>\n

Bloom Playing the Long Game<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s been plenty of chatter in the past about Bloom being hesitant to pull the trigger on big trades. But this doesn\u2019t feel like indecision – it feels like strategy. The Cardinals know what they have, they know the market, and they\u2019re not going to be rushed into a deal just to make headlines.<\/p>\n

This is a textbook case of understanding leverage and timing. The Cardinals are in control, and they\u2019re making it clear: if a team wants Brendan Donovan, they\u2019re going to have to pay up.<\/p>\n

If not, St. Louis is more than happy to keep a valuable, consistent player in the fold.<\/p>\n

Sometimes the best move is knowing when not<\/em> to move. And right now, the Cardinals are playing this exactly right.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cardinals Holding Firm on Brendan Donovan Trade Talks – And They Should Be When it comes to trade negotiations, Chaim Bloom isn’t blinking – and right now,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134254,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nCardinals Playing HARD BALL in Brendan Donovan Trade Talks: All-or-Nothing Demand Could Force Teams to Overpay BIG \u2013 Or Walk Away Empty-Handed? - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=134253\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cardinals Playing HARD BALL in Brendan Donovan Trade Talks: All-or-Nothing Demand Could Force Teams to Overpay BIG \u2013 Or Walk Away Empty-Handed? 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