The Seattle Mariners have a clear objective this offseason: fix the offense. While the pitching staff remains one of the deepest and most talented groups in baseball, the lineup has consistently struggled to provide enough run support. Enter Brendan Donovan, the St. Louis Cardinals’ versatile infielder/outfielder who has emerged as a prime trade target for Seattle.
Reports indicate the Mariners and San Francisco Giants are the current front-runners to acquire the 28-year-old. While the Giants make sense, Donovan’s specific skill set feels tailor-made for what Seattle is trying to build at T-Mobile Park.
Here is why Donovan is the ideal fit for the Mariners.
Elite Contact Skills in a High-Strikeout Lineup
The most glaring issue for Seattle in recent years has been an abundance of swing-and-miss in the lineup. The Mariners have led the league in strikeouts, a flaw that is exacerbated by their pitcher-friendly home ballpark.
Brendan Donovan offers the exact opposite profile. He is a high-contact, on-base machine. In 2025, he slashed .353/.422/.775 and was 19 percent above league average offensively in 118 games played. Donovan doesn’t just put the ball in play; he grinds out at-bats, draws walks, and forces pitchers to work—a philosophical shift Seattle desperately needs.
Defensive Versatility
Seattle President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto loves flexibility, and few players in the league offer more of it than Donovan. In 2022, he won the first-ever National League utility Gold Glove Award.
While he came up primarily as a second baseman, Brendan Donovan has logged significant innings at second base, first base, and in left field. With Jorge Polanco departing for the New York Mets, second base is an open vacancy in Seattle. Donovan could slide in as the everyday second baseman, or he could rotate between second, third, and the corner outfield spots, allowing manager Dan Wilson to play matchups and keep legs fresh.
Club Control and Affordability
The Mariners operate with budget constraints, making cost-controlled assets highly valuable. Brendan Donovan is not a one-year rental. He is arbitration-eligible through the 2027 season, meaning any team that acquires him gets three years of control.
His projected arbitration salary for 2026 is roughly $2.8 million—a bargain for a 2.7 WAR player. This financial flexibility would allow Seattle to acquire Brendan Donovan without blowing up their payroll, leaving room to make other necessary additions to the bullpen or rotation.
The Cost of Doing Business
The Cardinals are in a “reset” mode and have made it clear they want major league-ready pitching or high-end prospects in return. St. Louis has already inquired about Seattle’s young arms, specifically mentioning Jurrangelo Cijntje, a switch-pitching prospect taken in the first round of the 2024 draft.
