The Kansas City Royals fell short of expectations in 2025, thanks in large part to their offense. The trade to acquire Jonathan India from the Cincinnati Reds didn’t help them as much as they thought it would.
So, this winter, they’ll go back to the drawing board and look for other ways to acquire offense. Since they aren’t going to be in play for the top free agents, their best bet is probably to make a trade.
They have been linked to St. Louis Cardinals All-Star Brendan Donovan, who is likely to be moved. Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN listed him as one of the top trade candidates and had the Royals as a possible fit.
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Brendan Donovan Would Be An Ideal Fit For Royals
“The Cardinals are not eager to trade Donovan, but the market for him is percolating, and a number of teams see the 28-year-old as an option at second base, third base or left field.”
With India back in Kansas City for at least one more year, the Royals already have second base under control for 2026. However, that’s the beauty of acquiring somebody like Donovan.
He can play almost anywhere on the field, including the outfield, and he can play elite defense at all of his positions. The Royals have a hole in left field, and Donovan could easily fill that role for them in 2026.
The Royals also have pitching depth, including several young, cost-controlled arms that the Cardinals would be interested in to bolster their staff after trading away Sonny Gray. Both teams could simply fill needs with a potential trade.
The Royals would be set up to contend in 2026, while the Cardinals would be moving along with their rebuild and setting themselves up for the future.
The 28-year-old hit .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs, 50 RBI and a .775 OPS during the 2025 regular season. While the Cardinals missed the playoffs, not unlike the Royals, Donovan was a key bright spot, and adding him to the lineup in Kansas City could give the Royals a completely different look.
The Winter Meetings should be busy, and it will be interesting to see if the Royals can swing a deal with the Cardinals for Donovan.
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