The search for a second baseman in San Francisco is over. The Giants took the plunge with Luis Arraez, a signing sure to cause debate in and around Oracle Park. But Arraez's move will have other ripple effects around the league as the list of available suitors for St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan dwindles.
The former Padres Arraez agreed to a one-year deal worth $12 million, FanSided's Robert Murray confirmed on Saturday. That takes San Francisco off the table, likely because of St. Louis' reportedly high asking price for Donovan. Buster Posey and company were willing to take the risk with Arraez's less-than-stellar defensive record rather than pony up for the Cardinals All-Star.
If not the Giants, then who will?
The market for a Brendan Donovan trade is shrinking
The biggest impact of Arraez signing for the Giants is on the trade market. It's bad news for the Cardinals and good news for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals. Those teams are interested in Donovan, according to John Denton of MLB.com.
This almost assuredly takes the #SFGiants out of the trade market for #STLCards All-Star Brendan Donovan. The #Mariners, #RedSox and #Royals have shown interest in trading for Donovan, but they have been unwilling to meet STL’s steep asking price. https://t.co/SnoWQjI4tM
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) February 1, 2026
One less team interested in Donovan means one less bargaining chip St. Louis can use in trade negotiations. Already they are dealing with teams who have individually decided Donovan isn't worth the asking price. Each of those teams can now point to the Giants as an example of a team that was so out on the price, they looked elsewhere.
Is that fair to Donovan? It may not be to him, but it seems like a fair conclusion to draw relative to the price tag. Donovan is a solid player coming off an All-Star campaign, but he's not a can't-miss second baseman. He's certainly not Nico Hoerner or Ketel Marte. And his contract isn't working as well in the Cardinals' favor as you'd think. He's under club control through 2027, but that season could be impacted by a lockout. That means any team that trades for him is only really certain of one full year. It's not hard to see why teams are balking at the idea of giving up valuable young prospects for that.
So long as Seattle, Boston and Kansas City each stay firm, the Cardinals will either have to lower their price or accept that Donovan will be on their roster come spring training.
Mariners, Red Sox and Royals don't have many other good options
The Cardinals could claim Arraez coming off the market limits the options that trio has when it comes to second basemen. But the Red Sox are reportedly prioritizing defense for their infield, so Arraez wasn't going to be on their radar anyways. In any case, Nico Hoerner fits that bill more perfectly than anyone, but the Cubs price on that trade option is also higher than anyone wants to pay.
The Mariners have plenty of motivation with Jorge Polanco and possibly Eugenio Suarez departing. Is that motivation enough to ship three prospects to St. Louis?
Donovan is a solid all-around target who does hold value for the Mariners, Red Sox and Royals. It's just that value is in the eye of the beholder. The Cardinals are on one side of the street seeing a nine while the trade suitors are on the other side seeing a six.