MLB Rumors: Could the St. Louis Cardinals trade Brandon Donovan this offseason?

Brendan Donovan was floated as a potential player on the trade block when the Cards were cleaning house at the trade deadline. However, it always felt like a longshot that he would actually be dealt, much in the same way Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt were mentioned.

Donovan's season was cut short due to elbow surgery, and a popular trade partner for the Cardinals -- the New York Yankees -- may be interested in linking up against to discuss the multifaceted player.

"Brendan Donovan, whose season was cut short due to elbow surgery, makes sense for what the Yankees need," The Athletic's Chris Kirschner said. "Donovan is a high on-base percentage, low-strikeout left-handed bat who posted a .787 OPS in 95 games this year while playing all over the field. His OPS would have ranked third on the Yankees behind Judge and Gleyber Torres. The Yankees simply need more good hitters heading into next season, and Donovan fills that hole."

Donovan is a pre-arbitration player so it would cost the Yankees a pretty penny to acquire a player of his caliber. Kirschner, to his credit, does mention this and floats a few pitchers St. Louis may want in return. Specifically, Clarke Schmidt, Randy Vásquez, and Clayton Beeter could get the Cardinals talking.

While the first two are new to this conversation, Beeter is a prospect Mozeliak had his eyes on at the trade deadline. Beeter is closing in on the majors and would likely slide right into the Cards Opening Day rotation barring a positive spring training experience. To acquire Donovan, Beeter would almost certainly have to be involved.

St. Louis Cardinals Rumors: Will Nolan Arenado draw trade interest this offseason?

Per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, it doesn't sound like Nolan Arenado or Paul Goldschmidt are going anywhere this offseason. Arenado was reportedly floated as a trade possibility to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline, though that hasn't been confirmed via either party.

"Anyone can be traded based on the deal. I'm sure there is a deal out there that the Cardinals would entertain for (Jordan Walker)," Goold said. "It's just not likely that, say, Atlanta wants to talk about Spencer Strider in exchange for bringing a hometown kid back to play right field. The two veterans you name, Goldschmidt and Arenado, have no-trade clauses. They'll be traded if/when they want to be traded and the Cardinals won't have a whole lot of leverage with their salaries and their power to reject a trade."

Arenado is very happy where he's at, and wants to be a part of this team's rebuild moving forward. He sees the young pieces on offense, and believes the front office will help retool the pitching staff. While the fanbase may not be as optimistic, Arenado maintains faith, and he's certainly paid enough to stay comfortable in St. Louis.

Leaving isn't in Arenado's best interest moving forward unless they can convince him of a trade back home to LA, which is no longer on the table (and possible never was).

St. Louis Cardinals have a surprise pitching target: Rakuten Eagles closer Yuki Matsui

Yuki Matsui, who served as the Eagles closer this past season in the JPPL, could be posted as early as this offseason, and the Cardinals would probably have some interest in the top-end reliever. While Matsui isn't the top-end rotation upgrade St. Louis fans are searching for, he would improve the bullpen immensely assuming he can make the transition to MLB without a hitch. Josh Jacobs of Redbird Rants gave his scouting report of Matsui's game:

"Matsui is a top-end reliever in the JPPL, who has posted a 1.63 ERA with 39 saves in 2023. He's the youngest reliever in the league's history to hit 200 saves and has the stuff that should translate to the big leagues...His fastball hits 96 MPH but typically sits between 92-94 MPH. He's a lefty reliever though, and his splitter and slider are the pitches that he tends to overpower hitters with. He also has a curveball, giving him a well-rounded four-pitch arsenal."

On paper, that sounds like a player St. Louis would have interest in. He was reportedly linked to the Cardinals via Goold at the Post-Dispatch, which should carry some weight entering the offseason.

Matsui is a left-handed pitcher who has success against right-handed batters as well as those on the left side of the plate. That's a rare commodity, but his lack of MLB experience should keep his price tag down enough for the Cardinals to afford him.