The New York Yankees have free rein to pursue a former Gold Glove Award winner via trade this offseason. The Yankees have a need for support in their infield. St. Louis Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan could be an attractive option for New York to inquire about.
Yankees could trade for Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan
Yankees would inherit a precise bat in Donovan via trade
The three-year veteran brings it on both sides of the diamond. Not only is he an uber-efficient hitter who boasts a career .280 batting average, he is also skilled at driving in runs, as seen with his 73 RBIs produced in 2024.
Donovan’s elite defense could bolster the Yankees’ infield
Donovan also dominates on defense. In truly scintillating fashion, the 27-year-old owns a perfect fielding percentage across 168 career games in the outfield. In the infield, where the Yankees would need him to impose his will, Donovan owns a .992 fielding percentage in 125 games at second base, a .959 fielding percentage in 46 games at third base, as well as .987 and .974 clips at first base and shortstop respectively.
New York could use an upgrade to replace last season’s starting first baseman Anthony Rizzo, but could also shuffle the deck with their current infield cast to improve from corner to corner.
Yankees would need to trade away valuable assets in a deal for Donovan
The Yankees already traded away a star in Luis Gil this weekend in a deal to acquire closer Devin Williams. If they wanted to make a deal to add Donovan as well, they would need to be prepared to move off another star or valued prospect.
The Bronx Bombers’ recent marquee additions of ace Max Fried and Williams give them a monstrous pitching unit next to 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole and former two-time All-Star Carlos Rodon.
If New York is serious about bolstering their infield, it will likely take money to make money in that regard. Spotrac estimates that Donovan will earn $4 million in 2025 after scoring $757,200 last season. Thus, Donovan could deliver the goods on offense and defense for their 2025 World Series hopeful run.
