The Los Angeles Dodgers are always out on the hunt for an impact bat that can play multiple positions whether as an infielder or as an outfielder (or as both).
While Tommy Edman was scooped up from the St. Louis Cardinals a couple of year ago as the archetype of the player described above, the Dodgers may be on the phone with St. Louis once again to try and nab a similar player with an even greater upside.
More news: Dodgers’ Hyeseong Kim Tosses 3 Scoreless Innings in KBO Match
Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan of ESPN recently put together a list of the top 25 trade candidates across the MLB landscape. Each player has a percentage number as to the likelihood of being dealt.
Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals is a utility man drawing plenty of interest across the league. Known as a very good bat-to-ball infielder with terrific hands, the Dodgers seem to be a very conventional fit given Donovan’s positional versatility and makeup.
“The Cardinals are not eager to trade Donovan, but the market for him is percolating, and a number of teams see the 28-year-old as an option at second base, third base or left field. Because of his excellent bat-to-ball skills and gap power, Donovan can bat leadoff or occupy a middle-of-the-order role on a team with boppers,” Passan and McDaniel wrote. “Almost nobody is off-limits as new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom retools the Cardinals, and Donovan is the best of the available bunch.
“The scouting report: ‘Donovan has two years of control left at very affordable arbitration rates before free agency. He has plus ability to get on base, though the rest of his game is around average. He primarily plays second base, with some versatility, and hits left-handed. Donovan is a steady 3-win player with more value than most fans realize.’”
McDaniel and Passan believe that there’s a 75 percent chance Donovan is dealt. Along with the Dodgers, the duo view the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals, and Cleveland Guardians as possible fits.
More news: Dodgers Open to Keeping Six-Man Starting Rotation in 2026, Says GM
Donovan can play all over the infield and even in left field if needed. He’s a career .282 hitter, and despite not offering a ton in the way of pop and slug, Donovan is the type of winning player that puts the ball in play, fields exceptionally well, and rarely strikes out.
More news: 3 Moves Dodgers Need to Make This Offseason
Photo credit: Rick Scuteri/Imagn-Images
Have you downloaded the new Dodgers Nation app yet? Click here for Apple Users and here for Android Users to be a part of the redesigned app to give fans everything they need, all in one place. Don’t miss out on live GameCast with play-by-play, news and analysis, Dodgers Nation podcasts and videos, all the stats you want and more!