A few fans have been promoting Donovan of the Cardinals as a fit for the Dodgers. I did not see it… until now! I have concluded that he is a poor man’s Bo Bichette. He hit .287 last year, and his career average is .282, so he’s a good hitter with a career OPS of .775. He would slot nicely at 2B and in the bottom third of the lineup. I would not trade for a utilityman – He is not going to play LF… Teoscar has to move there. He doesn’t have the arm for 3B or RF, so 2B it is.
Donovan is a plus defender overall because of his instincts, versatility, and positioning awareness, but at second base specifically, he grades as solid to slightly above-average, depending on the metric. He’s not a freak athlete, but he is steady, reliable, and mistake-free.
Key Strengths
1. Excellent Baseball IQ & Positioning
- One of his best tools is his instincts—he reads balls well, positions himself correctly, and rarely makes mental mistakes.
- His defensive reputation in St. Louis was built on being where the ball is supposed to be.
2. Soft Hands
- Quick, clean transfers.
- Turns double plays well.
- Rarely boots routine plays.
3. Versatility
- Has logged MLB innings at 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, RF.
- That flexibility is itself a plus, but at 2B it helps him adapt to shifts and unusual alignments.
Key Weaknesses
1. Average Range
- Range is fine, but not standout.
- Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and OAA both reflect that he gets to most routine balls, but doesn’t expand his zone like elite defenders.
2. Arm Strength Is Only Average
- Not an issue at 2B, but it caps his value at SS or deep-range positions.
I’m on the Donovan Bandwagon. Bo Bichette is going to cost too much and likely will stay in Toronto. The question is, what does he cost? Well, Hyeseong Kim would have to be part of the deal, and St. Louis might be persuaded to take Jackson Ferris and someone like Landon Knack. Just an idea… don’t shoot the messenger! Another website suggested that the Dodgers trade Rushing, Wrobleski, and Kopp for him… Uh, NO! That’s felony stupid! Maybe Kopp.
I am still all in on Duran or Abreu!
Discussion (20)
Disagree, not disagreeable
OK, Mark….
What if the Cards are willing to trade Donovan for Ferris, Freeland and Sirota?
Would you pull the trigger?
Brandon Gomes at the GM meetings “Ryan Ward will get a bunch of opportunities at some point this year.”
That can be read a number of lovely ways.
Where? When? For whom?
https://x.com/OPS_BASEBALL/status/1995543045316514281?s=20
Also, the Dodgers 40 man needs serious work:
Currently on the 40 Man
SP –
Glasnow (18 GS in ’25)
Hurt / option available
Knack / option available (7 GS in ’25)
Ohtani (14 GS in ’25)
Ryan / option available
Sasaki / option available (8 GS in ’25)
Sheehan / option available (12 GS in ’25)
Snell (11 GS in ’25)
Stone / option available
Wrobleski / option available (2 GS in ’25)
Yamamoto (30 GS in ’25)
on the rehab trail –
Hurt
Ryan
Stone
RP –
Banda
Casparius / option available
Dreyer / option available
Gervase / option available
Graterol
Henriquez / option available
Klein / option available
Kopp / option available
Miller
Scott
Stewart
Treinen
Vesia
That’s a LOT of pitchers and not a LOT of room for position players.
Like it or not, in MLB, you are now judged by OPS and you can pretty much set your lineup by OPS.
The higher the OPS, the higher up in the lineup a hitter should hit!
Made it to Cali safely. No pertinent Dodger news yet. Still waiting for something concrete,
Baseball America previews the Rule 5 draft ($$$$$)
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2025-rule-5-draft-preview-top-players-to-know/
One Dodger singled out (pun?):
Jose Rodriguez, RHP, Dodgers
When it comes to the ideal template for a Rule 5 pick, Rodriguez checks a lot of boxes. He’s tall, physical, comes complete with a deceptive delivery and outlier pitches. The 24-year-old signed out of Mexico in 2019 …
good morning from icy virginia!
i’m reading this morning the mets aren’t out on Diaz just because they signed williams. Good for them! Dodgers don’t need him. Fairbanks is “hot” on the reliever list for several teams. The dodgers interest is hard to read right now. Mark could be on to something. they may stand pat . They may be banking on Tanner Scott to bounce back stronger and better than ever.
i’m anxiously awaiting the next move they make in the position player market. I really want them to bring in donovan and possibly duran. i love that lineup mark posted! The only thing i would not want to see, dalton being traded. Teo is going to have to be relocated to left field. That limits Daltons ability to get many AB’s in left field. i guess that he could spell Teo occasionally, Freddie occasionally, and Will occasionally. Maybe even dh every blue moon after ohtani pitches. The main thing is they don’t trade him this offseason. This isn’t Cartaya !
One other thing. I don’t think they should or will trade Glasnow. give him an extra day off occasionally and limit his innings during the regular season. But he can be so dang good! Emmit seems to be a logical choice in a Jared Duran trade. the sox need another starter and the dodgers interest need an outfielder! Love Emmit, but Gavin Stone is on the horizon, as is River Ryan. Isn’t this fun?
OMG !!! I’d love that lineup Mark.. Can you imagine a 90 RBI hitter batting 8th. ???? Then having Edman, the Swiss army knife playing all over… I kinda agree with your assessment of having our potential closer already on our staff. One guy who is constantly overlooked as a reliever is Jack Dreyer. His numbers are very good. His WHIP & WAR are very respectable. And his HRs allowed rate is much better than Scott, Vesia, Casparius, Henriquez, Banda, Wrobo. I think he has Steve Howe written all over him, without the addiction problem… Big overpay for D. Williams by the Mets, in my opinion.
Try this lineup:
1. Ohtani DH
2. Betts SS
3. Freeman 1B
4. Smith C
5. Muncy 3B
6. Pages RF
7. Duran CF
8. Teoscar LF
9. Donovan 2B
OMG! I think you would quit seeing nights when nobody scores!
Devin Williams just signed a 3-year deal with the Mets.
The problem with Donovan is best summarized by Ardaya in a recent article:
“When it comes to the bat, my sense is the team is looking for at least a carrying trait that they can bank on. They hoped it would be Michael Conforto’s bat. Harrison Bader’s trait would be his glove. Donovan’s is his competence at multiple positions to go with a quality bat.”
Not sure that flies given Edman and Kim already here and not going anywhere.
But I’m wrong A LOT.
Count me in on Donovan. 361 career OBP. Trade cost would be significant but not as costly as the salary Tucker will command. We were able to hide some very bad hitting droughts this postseason. Donovan could help cut down the odds of that happening again.
Donovan is a proven hitter. a solid defensive player. The kind of hitter that lineup needs. If Kim is there, he would be a great bench piece.
So I see the knock on Kim is that he is a ‘punch and Judy ‘ hitter. Ok but we don’t need someone like Mookie or Max at every position. He is under team control, why trade for someone new??
they probably will pursue an outfielder, but that doesn’t exclude them pursuing Donovan. It looks like the price for Tucker is dropping. If it gets in the 350 range, the Dodgers will be in play. But I like the thoughts of Duran playing out there. Teo N left, pages in center ( or duran) and duran in right (or pages).
How about trading Landon Knack, Bobby Miller and Will Klein for Donavan and a low level pitcher ? I don’t see a fit for any of those 3 pitchers making the 26 man roster. Also frees up three roster spots. I’m also all in for Jarren Duran. I wouldn’t want to… but, would give up maybe Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski and two of either Kyle Freeland, Ryan Ward or Zyhir Hope. Like an earlier comment.. You trade guys cause it hurts so you can get quality back. My wish is to sign Devin Williams.
I don’t think that the Dodgers have a glaring need at 2B – some combo of Edman, Kim, and Rojas (if they bring him back) will do nicely.
They need a CF (or RF if they keep Pages in CF). They should focus on getting an OF.
Remembering how much of a pest Ernie Clement was in the World Series, could Brendan Donovan do the same for us? When the top of the order comes up, it would be nice to have people on base ahead of them. Donovan had a strong year at the plate:
On-Base Percentage (OBP): .353
OPS+ (adjusted for park and league): 119, which is well above league average (100). [baseball-r…erence.com]
Strikeout Rate (K%): 13.0% → 92nd percentile (excellent)
Walk Rate (BB%): 8.2% → 50th percentile (average)
Whiff Rate (Swing & Miss): 13.4% → 95th percentile (elite contact ability).
i have been on the Donovan train for several weeks now. he fits perfectly into what the dodgers love. Versatility! he can play all 4 infield positions plus some outfield too. With him Kike is a little less of a priority. At least until he heals up. Then maybe they trade Call. The Cardinals want to rebuild. Let’s help them get started!
Is he s better defender than Kim? Not from the statistics I seem. Why trade a better fielder with 3 Years left on his contract and who hit .281 in a short sample?
Astros making Jake Myers available for rotation help. Solid CF who is a contact hitter.