One Pittsburgh Pirates trade candidate from each National League division

Pirates NL Central Trade Candidate:
Brendan Donovan

St. Louis Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan has often been brought up in mock trades this offseason. If the Cardinals eventually listen to offers regarding Donovan, the Pirates should consider going after him. Donovan would be a solution to many different positions on the Pirates’ depth chart right now.

Donovan has been a solid hitter throughout his MLB career. Last year, he batted .278/.342/.417 with a .332 wOBA and 115 wRC+. Donovan has never hit for much power, as he only went yard 14 times in 652 plate appearances with a .140 isolated slugging percentage last season, but both were career-bests. Donovan’s 7.2% walk rate was a career-worst, but he continued to rarely strike out and only had a K% of 12.4% last year.

Donovan has logged at least 100 innings at five different positions on the diamond. Most of his innings in 2024 were in left field, where he was about an average defender with -1 DRS, albeit +1 OAA. Second base is his best position, as he had +1 DRS and +5 OAA in less than 500 innings at the keystone last year. Donovan started games at third base and left field in 2024, with playing time at both first base and shortstop in his career.

2025 will be Donovan’s age-28 season. The Cardinals tried to negotiate a multi-year deal with Donovan, though it seems neither side could come to an agreement this offseason. Donovan will go through arbitration, where he is projected to make $3.6 million, per MLB Trade Rumors. Given that the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement over a multi-year deal, it is possible that the Cards will at least explore the possibility of trading Donovan. But there is no rush if they opt to go that route, as Donovan still has three full seasons of control left.

Other NL Central notables: Ryan Helsley