The Seattle Mariners letting Eugenio Suarez walk on an affordable one-year deal was only justifiable if Jerry Dipoto had a pivot plan in place. Well, roughly 24 hours after Suarez signed with the Cincinnati Reds, the Mariners have reportedly acquired Brendan Donovan, the hottest name on the trade block, from the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-team deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, according to The Athletic's Katie Woo. USA Today's Bob Nightengale came through with the full details.
This trade makes varying degrees of sense for all sides. The Mariners acquired the infielder they desperately needed, while the Cardinals continued to go all-in on their rebuild by making their biggest offseason trade yet. Even the Rays got a bit better as well.
MLB trade grades: Cardinals capitalize on Brendan Donovan value, make Mariners AL force in the process
Trading Donovan now made all the sense in the world for the rebuilding Cardinals. Not only was he coming off his best year yet, but Donovan also has two years of control remaining. Shipping him off now, while he's more than a rental and his stock is at an all-time high, gave St. Louis the best chance to maximize his value. The Cardinals don't expect to win in the next two years before Donovan enters free agency, so it made sense to get the most they possibly could now.
By doing so, though, they helped the Mariners out greatly. Seattle desperately needed more contact and a more viable infielder, and Donovan checks both boxes. They win the trade as a result.
Mariners trade grade: A
Donovan fits this Mariners team perfectly for so many reasons. The most important is that he's an outstanding contact hitter. He won't hit many home runs, but Seattle was an elite power-hitting team in 2025. He doesn't strike out much, though, and hits for a high average, two weaknesses on this Mariners team.
Statistic | Mariners Team Rank 2025 | Brendan Donovan 2025 |
|---|---|---|
Batting Average | .245 (20th) | .304 |
Strikeout Rate | 23.3 percent (23rd) | 13.0 percent |
Additionally, Donovan can play all over the diamond. He'll likely begin the year at third base with Cole Young at second, but if Young struggles and/or top prospect Colt Emerson gets off to a hot start at Triple-A, Donovan can shift to second base and provide high-end defense there. Donovan slots nicely into their order as a table-setter for All-Stars like Cal Raiegh, Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor, and he's a perfect defensive fit as well.
Yes, the Mariners gave up a good amount, but Donovan was highly coveted and comes with two years of cheap club control. You have to give to get, and even with Cijntje involved, they still didn't touch any of their top six prospects — all of whom are in the top 100 overall per MLB Pipeline.
Cardinals trade grade: B
There's a lot to like about this trade from the Cardinals' perspective, too, particularly with the headliner. No, Cijntje probably won't switch-pitch in the Majors as he had been doing in the Minor Leagues with Seattle, but the first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft has electric stuff from the right side. And after ending his first professional season in Double-A, he might make it up to the Majors sometime in 2026 (or not far after if he gets off to a fast start next season).
Tai Peete is the other intriguing piece going to St. Louis in this deal. A first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Peete is an incredible athlete who can play all over the diamond and has displayed a ton of raw power while possessing good speed as well. Peete hit 19 home runs and stole 25 bases in 2025. His hit tool could hold him back, though, as he struck out 162 times in 125 games in High-A and hit just .217. If he can cut down on the strikeouts, there's a real shot of Peete being an impactful player, but there's clear risk here.
Colton Ledbetter was a second-round pick of the Rays in the 2023 MLB Draft and just played a full season in Double-A. The Comp B draft pick slots in after the second round completes, and could net the Cardinals another exciting piece.
I like the quantity of this deal, but would like the return for Donovan, a very good player, a bit more if Cijntje wasn't the headliner. This is a good deal for the Cardinals, but a bit shy of an A grade for me.
Rays trade grade: C+
The Rays' inclusion in this deal is a bit curious, as they parted with Ledbetter and a valuable draft pick in exchange for Ben Williamson. Value-wise, this is fine. Williamson left a lot to be desired in his first taste of big-league action this past season, but he displayed an elite glove at third base, and based on how he's performed in the Minor Leagues (.291 BA, .792 OPS), there's room for improvement. If he can even be a league-average hitter, he's a solid starter at the hot corner.
The question I have is: Where will he play? Williamson is an elite defender at third base, but the Rays have Junior Caminero slotted to play there for the foreseeable future. Might there be a position change in store for Caminero? Can Williamson play shortstop, a position he played sparingly in the Minors but at which the Rays have an opening?
It'll be interesting to see what Tampa has planned for him. They entered this deal for a reason, and with their history of winning trades that they have no business winning, who knows how things will age? For now, though, the fit is a bit weird to justify parting with a prospect and a draft pick.
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