{"id":144668,"date":"2026-01-24T12:42:32","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T12:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=144668"},"modified":"2026-01-24T12:42:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T12:42:32","slug":"giants-willing-to-trade-star-prospect-in-bold-move-for-brendan-donovan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=144668","title":{"rendered":"Giants Willing To Trade Star Prospect In Bold Move For Brendan Donovan"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

IMAGE: Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) slides safely past St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) for a double during the third inning at Busch Stadium. \/ Jeff Curry \/ Imagn Images<\/div>\n

The San Francisco Giants may be circling back to the St. Louis Cardinals with serious intent – and if they\u2019re willing to put top prospect Josuar Gonzalez on the table, things could get real interesting, real fast.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break this down.<\/p>\n

According to recent reports, the Giants were ready to include Gonzalez – a highly touted teenage shortstop – in a trade package for Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams. That deal didn\u2019t materialize, reportedly because Washington wasn\u2019t budging. But now, with spring training around the corner and urgency building, San Francisco might pivot toward another target they\u2019ve been eyeing all offseason: Cardinals All-Star Brendan Donovan.<\/p>\n

If Gonzalez is truly in play, the Cardinals might finally get the kind of offer they\u2019ve been holding out for.<\/p>\n

Why Gonzalez matters<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Mariners,<\/p>\n

Gonzalez isn\u2019t just another name in the system – he\u2019s a legit talent with sky-high upside. Baseball America recently ranked him as the No. 30 overall prospect in the game. That\u2019s elite company.<\/p>\n

He just turned 18 this offseason and spent his age-17 season in the Dominican Summer League, where he slashed .288\/.404\/.455 across 228 plate appearances. He\u2019s got plus-plus speed and fielding tools, a strong arm, and early signs of a quality hit tool.<\/p>\n

The power is still developing, but that\u2019s expected at this stage. Baseball America slapped a 65-grade on him – with the caveat of high risk, of course, because he\u2019s still years away from the majors.<\/p>\n

But the potential? It\u2019s star-level.<\/p>\n

Why Donovan fits what the Giants need<\/strong><\/p>\n

San Francisco\u2019s been hunting for a second baseman all winter. They\u2019ve reportedly had talks about both Donovan and the Cubs\u2019 Nico Hoerner, and while nothing has landed yet, the heat is turning up. Donovan, in particular, checks a lot of boxes.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s versatile, he gets on base, and he\u2019s been one of the most quietly productive players in the league since debuting in 2022. While CJ Abrams may have the flashier tools and an extra year of club control, Donovan\u2019s been the more consistent and valuable player to date.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at the numbers: Donovan owns a career 119 wRC+ compared to Abrams\u2019 97. In terms of overall value, Donovan\u2019s racked up 10.1 fWAR in fewer games (492) than Abrams (523), who sits at 6.9 fWAR. And while Abrams plays shortstop – a premium position – Donovan\u2019s defensive versatility and steady bat make him a plug-and-play asset for any contending team.<\/p>\n

Why the Cardinals are holding firm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chaim Bloom, now leading the Cardinals\u2019 baseball operations, has made it clear: he\u2019s not giving Donovan away. At Winter Warm-Up this past weekend, Bloom reiterated that while a trade is becoming less likely as spring training approaches, the door isn\u2019t shut.<\/p>\n

If a team meets the asking price, he\u2019ll listen. And with Gonzalez potentially in the mix, the Giants might be getting close.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t about desperation – it\u2019s about leverage. The Cardinals know they have a valuable piece in Donovan, and with multiple teams (including the Red Sox and Mariners) still in the market for a second baseman, Bloom can afford to wait for the right offer.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next?<\/strong><\/p>\n

San Francisco\u2019s interest in Donovan isn\u2019t new, but their willingness to include Gonzalez would mark a shift in tone – from interested to aggressive. They\u2019ve already shown they\u2019re willing to go big for the right player, and if they struck out on Abrams, Donovan might be next in line.<\/p>\n

The question now is whether the Giants are ready to meet the Cardinals\u2019 price. If they are, we could be looking at one of the more impactful trades of the offseason – one that sends a rising star prospect to St. Louis and an All-Star second baseman to a Giants team looking to make noise in the NL West.<\/p>\n

For now, the clock is ticking. Spring training is just around the corner. And both teams have decisions to make.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IMAGE: Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) slides safely past St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) for a double during the third inning at Busch… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":144669,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-144668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nGiants Willing To Trade Star Prospect In Bold Move For Brendan Donovan - 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=144668\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Giants Willing To Trade Star Prospect In Bold Move For Brendan Donovan - 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