With the help of a familiar coordinator, the Seattle Mariners finally executed the trade they had been pursuing all winter on Monday, acquiring Brendan Donovan from the St. Louis Cardinals. The deal is a three-way swap that includes the Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle’s most frequent trade partner during President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto’s decade-long tenure leading the front office. After months of reports suggesting Seattle was interested in Donovan and uncertainty over whether the Cardinals would actually part with him in a dramatic offseason offseason, it’s fitting that the Rays’ surprise involvement helped push the deal over the finish line.
Details are as follows:
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Mariners receive: INF/OF Brendan Donovan (from Cardinals)
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Cardinals receive: RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje (from Mariners), OF Tai Peete (from Mariners), OF Colton Ledbetter (from Rays), Competitive Balance Series B pick (currently No. 68, from Mariners), Competitive Balance Series B pick (currently No. 72, from Rays)
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Rays receive: INF Ben Williamson (from Mariners)
Donovan was rumored to be the Mariners’ top choice throughout the offseason as they looked to replenish the infield and lineup after Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suarez both left in free agency. Josh Naylor was signed to a five-year contract extension in November, solidifying first base and providing a bat in the middle of the order, but there’s still enough uncertainty at second and third base to warrant adding another infield player. Considering Donovan’s experience at both positions, his above-average left-handed bat and his remaining two years of franchise control, the 29-year-old becomes an ideal candidate for the Mariners, especially given their excellent farm system. Still, Seattle has been remarkably quiet in the months since retaining Naylor, with their only major additions being the trade of left-handed reliever Jose A. Ferrell and the one-year deal of platoon slugger Rob Refsnyder.
As spring training approaches, it seems increasingly likely that Seattle will hand over multiple infield spots to its talented but unproven young players — Cole Young, Ben Williamson, Colt Emerson — a risky strategy for a team with World Series ambitions. Then-President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto made it clear at the team’s fan gathering over the weekend that the club wanted to add another player to the major league roster. There’s always a risk when a front office official publicly commits to such an addition, even vaguely, but it’s clear that Dipoto is confident enough in the Donovan trade to send a clear hint to the fan base.
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Sure enough, Donovan is now with the Mariners after eight years with the Cardinals. Born in Germany, the son of a U.S. Army colonel stationed overseas, Donovan experienced a lot of wandering growing up but eventually settled in Alabama, where he played high school and attended the University of South Alabama. He was relatively unknown as an amateur, but came to attention after joining the Cardinals as a seventh-round pick in 2018. In 2021, he hit .304/.399/.455 across three levels, reaching Triple-A, setting the stage for an early call-up next season. He used that momentum to have a stellar debut in 2022, becoming a key cog for the 93-win NFC Central champion Cardinals. His .394 on-base percentage was the fifth-best mark this century among rookies with at least 450 plate appearances, one-quarter behind Cooperstown-bound Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, and he finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting.
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Over the next three years, while Donovan failed to replicate the high on-base percentage of his debut, he continued to reach base at an above-average rate thanks to his advanced home plate discipline and superior contact skills: Among 103 batters with at least 1,500 plate appearances over the past three seasons, Donovan’s .351 OBP ranked 24th, and his 13.1% strikeout rate ranked seventh-worst. That skill set makes him a starting candidate for Seattle, at least against right-handers, as a logical hitter ahead of sluggers Carl Rowley, Julio Rodriguez, Naylor and Randy Arozarena.
To be fair, Donovan also has limitations with the bat. His raw power was limited, but he hit just 40 homers in 492 career games, and his slugging percentage was unspectacular. He has also struggled against lefties, posting a .651 OPS against lefties and an OPS of .812 against righties. Overall, Donovan’s below-average explosiveness and sharp platoon split limit his offensive ceiling to just good rather than great.
But his consistent output on the boards combined with his diverse defensive versatility has essentially defined Donovan’s entire career. Donovan started almost every game in left field as a freshman at South Alabama in 2016, and he has moved around the diamond and proven himself proficient at multiple positions over the past decade. As a rookie, he started at every position except catcher and center field, winning the first utility Gold Glove in National League history.
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As of late, Donovan has spent most of his playing time at second base and left field. In Seattle, the focus will be on the second and third spots, where Donovan hasn’t played much due to Nolan Arenado’s presence in St. Louis. But assuming the Mariners remain confident in Donovan’s ability to handle the hot corners, new types of questions arise about the other infielders on the Mariners’ depth chart. The addition of Williamson removes one name from the equation, but the addition of Donovan leaves the 22-year-old Young and the 20-year-old Emerson vying for the other starting infield spot in spring training, with Naylor at first base and J.P. Crawford at shortstop.
Young made his big-league debut last summer and seemed to have an advantage in games like this, with the Mariners speaking highly of his ability to be an above-average starter on the cornerstone. But Emerson — a natural shortstop who rose quickly in the minor leagues and also went third — is a consensus top-10 prospect throughout Major League Baseball and may have the talent to push the issue. If he breaks out in the spring and wins the third base job, that would likely move Young to Triple-A and continue hitting every day while Donovan stays at second. Plus, Emerson looks like the heir apparent at shortstop for Crawford, who is expected to be a free agent after this season. So while the Mariners may hope Emerson and Young can contribute in 2026, adding Donovan greatly reduces their urgency to do so immediately.
Williamson, meanwhile, left Seattle’s crowded infield and joined a new Rays roster that added a host of new faces this offseason. Tampa Bay appears to be in the midst of something of a transition. If not a full rebuild, then at least an acknowledgment that the other four teams in the AFC East are loading up in a way that makes the Rays less likely to compete in the short term, leading them to prioritize long-term assets.
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While Williamson is still a work in progress with his bat after being rushed to the majors to fill Seattle’s needs at third base, he has already earned a reputation as an excellent infield defender. Interestingly, most of that was gained at third base, a position that appears to be blocked by Junior Caminero in Tampa. Instead, Williamson will likely see time at second base as a right-handed complement to the recently acquired Gavin Lux. Although the acquisition cost is not high, the Rays must have a good impression of Williamson to go to great lengths to reach this deal. Therefore, his development in Tampa is worth watching.
For the Cardinals, adding a third team member in a trade would be a great way to maximize returns on players they weren’t necessarily planning to trade before Opening Day. Slated to make just $5.8 million this season and be under team control through 2027, Donovan represents a more valuable trade chip than high-paid veterans like Sonny Gray, Wilson Contreras and Nolan Arenado, all of whom have received middling returns as St. Louis prioritizes clearing their payroll and providing playing time to young players. Meanwhile, Donovan could remain at the deadline if the Cardinals aren’t satisfied with the offer. But in the end, Seattle and Tampa Bay combined to form a valuable package that ultimately led to new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom’s latest future-focused deal.
In St. Louis’ return, Cijtnje is a prize — and a fascinating one at that. Cijtnje, who only turned 23 in May, has been performing in front of large crowds for years and represented Curacao in the 2016 Little League World Series. It was at Williamsport that he first displayed his special skill with a changeup, a display of extraordinary two-handed dexterity that would become infamous as he grew older in high school and college. The Mariners drafted him 15th overall in 2024 out of Mississippi State and allowed him to move on in 2025, his first full pro season. But Cijtnje has always been more advantageous throwing right field, and when Seattle announced Cijtnje as a non-roster invite to spring training last week, he was tagged as a right-hander only. The Cardinals said the same thing about him when they announced the trade on Monday.
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Sadly, his days as a relief pitcher are behind him, and Cijtnje can now focus on his development without having to worry about figuring out how to integrate his weaker side. At just 5-foot-11, he doesn’t have the typical frame for a rotation anchor, but he’s strong and has stuff similar to that of an impact starter, with high 90s speed and a nice slider that can quickly improve his changeup. He performed well in Double-A last season, so it’s not out of the question that Cijtnje could make it to the majors at some point in 2026 if things continue to go well.
Pitt and Ledbetter are two outfielders with tantalizing pedigrees and have a lot to prove in 2026. Pitt, the 30th overall pick in 2023, is one of the youngest players in his high school class. He’s a good athlete who has transitioned to the outfield after being drafted at shortstop and can develop into a center fielder with extra power, but his hitting tool needs serious refinement to translate at the highest level. Ledbetter was also drafted in early 2023 (55th overall) after a strong showing at Mississippi State, where he was a teammate of Cijtnje’s. The advanced hitting power combination praised by amateur players hasn’t quite translated to pro ball, but he reached Double-A last year and could find new gear when circumstances change.
Finally, adding not one, but two picks in this summer’s draft is a great way for St. Louis to continue to replenish its ascending farm system. The current draft order may change slightly, and once the last two free agents with qualifying offers (Flamber Valdez and Zach Gallen) sign, the Cardinals have six picks in the top 100: Nos. 13, 32, 50, 68, 72 and 86. The haul would amount to one of the largest bonus pools of any team, which would provide flexibility for St. Louis’ amateur scouting department. This summer has seen another wave of exciting young talent emerge.
