Royals may need to act fast if they want to land Cardinals’ versatile All-Star

After a whirlwind week last week, particularly after the Winter Meetings, the Kansas City Royals look as though they’re in a strong place to continue adding in their pursuit of returning to the postseason in 2026.

However, it appears some hurdles might have to be jumped if they wish to land some ideal trade targets. On the same day that insider Ken Rosenthal mentioned the Royals are reportedly being met with a steep asking price from the Red Sox for Jarren Duran, he also mentioned a deal for Cardinals Brendan Donovan could prove quite complex as well.

“The Royals probably would need to orchestrate a three-way swap, trading left-hander Kris Bubic for prospects they could redirect to the Cardinals,” Rosenthal wrote. “Bubic, projected to earn $6 million in arbitration before becoming a free agent, is of little interest to St. Louis, a rebuilding club.”

This comes off the heels of Donovan’s market seemingly heating up, with Rosenthal’s fellow co-worker at The Athletic, Katie Woo, reporting that a pair of other suitors have emerged as the front- runners for Donovan’s services.

“The Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants have emerged as front-runners for St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan, sources familiar with negotiations tell The Athletic, with the Cardinals looking to land multiple top prospects in a return,” Woo wrote.

Given the Royals no longer have the straightest of paths to land a pretty ideal target, they’re not only going to have to get creative, with so many moving parts they’ll likely have to act quick if they really wish to add him.

Royals must be diligent if they wish to land Cardinals’ All-Star Brendan Donovan

Now, the fact the Mariners are in the mix here makes complete sense. After Jorge Polanco left for the Mets this past weekend, Seattle’s hole at second base only got bigger.

Cole Young is currently projected there according to FanGraphs Roster Resource, and while still 22-years-old, his 80 wRC+ in his debut season isn’t exactly the most inspiring note to build on for a team that’s looking to capitalize on being one win away from a spot in the World Series.

And from the Cardinals’ point of view, if it’s prospects they want, it’s hard to argue against the intrigue of a farm system as deep as Seattle’s, which currently features seven prospects in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list.

Then there’s the Giants, who have just as strong a need as Seattle at second. While Casey Schmitt, whom Roster Resource currently projects at second base, and his 98 wRC+, .706 OPS and 0.7 fWAR seems more productive than Seattle’s Cole Young, he still isn’t exactly the greatest name to form a double play pairing with Willy Adames for a team with contending ambitions like they have.

Plus the Giants lineup doesn’t have the same amount of overall depth as the near pennant winnining Mariners, making Donovan an even more valuable target.

Now, they may not have nearly as strong a farm system as the Mariners, with only a pair of names on the aforementioned MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects list, but what they do have going for them is the fact that their system seems a little more balanced than the Royals’.

Kansas City’s prospect depth is led by a pair of catchers at No. 1 and No. 2 and three in their Top 10 in total. Given the rise of Iván Herrera and the defensive prowess of Pedro Pagés as an exceptional defensive backstop, the Cardinals aren’t in a position to really profit of this area of surplus for the Royals.

And then the rest of Kansas City’s most promising names are still somewhat gambles. Sean Gamble and Josh Hammond may be first round talents, but both are only 19-year-olds who’ve yet to play a professional game of baseball. Then the likes of fellow teenagers, Yandel Ricardo, David Shields and Kendry Chourio, have yet to prove they can replicate their stellar 2025 breakout seasons.

So, while finding a third party trade candidate isn’t the end of the world, it’s another step KC must take that won’t necessarily be the easiest.

Where’s the smoke, there’s more often than not fire, and the fact that the Giants and Mariners are already emerging as front runners among industry insiders and seem to have one less step to obtaining Donovan means the Royals cannot afford to drag their feet if Donovan is their desired target.

And there’s no denying the fact that a controllable asset with his ability to play both second base and left field would be nothing short of a godsend for this Royals lineup moving forward.