The New York Yankees are searching for infield help ahead of the trade deadline, and Brendan Donovan checks nearly every box imaginable.
The 27-year-old Cardinals utility man brings contact, leadership, and defensive flexibility — three things the Yankees are sorely missing.
With DJ LeMahieu gone and Oswald Peraza flailing offensively, Donovan would fill a void and elevate both floor and ceiling.
A perfect fit for what the Yankees need right now
Donovan is slashing .296/.364/.433 this season with nine home runs, a .797 OPS, and outstanding plate discipline metrics.
His whiff rate ranks in the 96th percentile and his strikeout rate in the 90th, which the Yankees desperately need.
His ability to grind out at-bats and put the ball in play offers a contrast to New York’s all-or-nothing approach.
In many ways, Donovan is the glue-type player championship teams lean on to lengthen their lineup and clean up sloppy innings.
Where he fits defensively — and why that matters
Though he’s primarily played second base in 2024, Donovan has experience across the diamond and even in both corner outfield spots.
He holds a .990 fielding percentage at second this year but hasn’t graded out well by advanced metrics in that spot.
However, the Yankees could shift him back to third base, where he shined in 2022 with eight defensive runs saved in 189 innings.
St. Louis hasn’t used him much at third due to Nolan Arenado, but that’s arguably Donovan’s strongest infield position overall.
The Cardinals’ playoff picture could dictate everything
As of now, the Cardinals sit fourth in the NL Central, trailing the Brewers by nine games with little momentum.
They’re only 2.5 games back in the Wild Card, but they’ve shown signs of regression and may ultimately decide to sell.
According to Jon Heyman, multiple teams — including the Yankees — would have interest if Donovan becomes available.
He’s under team control through the 2027 season, which means St. Louis doesn’t have to rush any decision.
Still, the Yankees could test their resolve with a strong offer built around pitching depth or controllable major-league talent.
It would take a haul — but the payoff could be huge
Make no mistake: acquiring Donovan won’t come cheap, especially since he’s entering arbitration and offers years of upside.
But the Yankees have already exceeded the luxury tax and clearly view 2025 as a win-now campaign, no matter the cost.
Adding a bat like Donovan’s — one with contact skills, defensive versatility, and playoff composure — could change their postseason trajectory.
- Yankees’ trade with Cardinals would land perfect-fit infielder
- Report: There is ‘a gap’ in trade talks between Yankees and Diamondbacks for star infielder
- Yankees are expected to target top-of-the-market bullpen help at the deadline
He’s the type of player who never needs headlines to make an impact, but somehow always finds himself as a key contributor.
The Yankees could use that kind of quiet excellence right now — the kind that steadies the infield and balances the offense.
If the Cardinals decide to open the door, Donovan would be one of the most valuable trade chips on the entire market.
And for a Yankees team stumbling through inconsistencies, he might be the exact glue piece they didn’t know they needed.
!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“has-featured-video”,”true”)})}();