Brendan Donovan’s dream season appeared to be in full swing for a few months.
The second baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals had a 132 wRC+ and.819 OPS in 64 games before sustaining a toe injury in mid-June. Those figures fell to an 84 wRC+ and.653 OPS in the 46 games that followed before he was placed on the disabled list.
Donovan’s career-best season could have come to an end when he was placed on the injured list for an indefinite period of time due to a groin ailment. The club has no reason to hurry their All-Star back, since they are 63-64 and 5.0 games out of the last NL Wild Card place.
The Cardinals may have lost their option, despite the fact that there is a distinct and evident segment of the fan base that wants to keep Donovan for the duration of his career.
Brendan Donovan’s injury, recent performance will quiet his trade market this offseason
In preparation for Chaim Bloom’s complete takeover of the front office this winter, the Cardinals decided to move only rental relievers during their relatively mild trade deadline.
Prior to July 31, there were several reports that other clubs, notably the Dodgers and Yankees, were contacting Donovan. However, the Cardinals would not allow him to leave for anything less than a huge haul.
Now, given Donovan’s first All-Star selection, that was a reasonable position. But now it’s evident that the Cardinals missed the opportunity to implement a more significant change at the deadline.
It looks like the Milwaukee Brewers are getting ready for a run at the top of the division similar to that of the Cardinals. Even though their supporters find them delightfully annoying, the Cubs are expected to be serious competitors for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, the Reds are younger and better prepared to win right now than the Cardinals, who are 67-60.
One may argue that the club would have been better off dealing for Donovan, 28, when his value was at its highest. Given his difficulties since June, a trade this winter now looks improbable, and he has two more years of team control remaining via arbitration.
