If the St. Louis Cardinals end up trading utility player Brendan Donovan, which team would give them the best return?

The Seattle Mariners are rumored to be the frontrunners for Donovan. The rumored prospects involved could be starting pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, second baseman/shortstop Michael Arroyo, and outfielder Lazaro Montes. Cijntje, 22, is a switch-pitcher. Cijntje currently ranks as the Mariners 7th best prospect. Cijntje ran reach 98 miles per hour with his fastball.

Cijntje was 5-7 with a 3.99 ERA, 26 games, 23 starts, 108.1 innings, 120 strikeouts, 51 walks, and a whip of 1.22 combined between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas in 2025.

Overall, it was Cintje’s 1st minor league season.

Arroyo, 21, currently ranks as the Mariners 5th best prospect. Arroyo hit .262 with 78 runs, 118 hits, 24 doubles, 1 triple, 17 home runs, 54 RBI’s, 12 stolen bases, and 69 walks combined between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas in 2025.

Arroyo had his best season in 2024, combined between Single-A Modesto and High-A Everett. That season, Arroyo hit .285 with 101 runs, 138 hits, 26 doubles, 7 triples, 23 home runs, 89 RBI’s, 18 stolen bases, and 73 walks. The batting average, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI’s, stolen bases, and walks were all career highs for Arroyo.

Overall, Arroyo has played 4 minor league seasons. Arroyo has played 353 games with 273 runs, 360 hits, 77 doubles, 13 triples, 47 home runs, 193 RBI’s, 42 stolen bases, 206 walks, and a .275 batting average.

Montes, 21, currently ranks as the Mariners 3rd best prospect. Montes hit .241 with 76 runs, 118 hits, 19 doubles, 7 triples, 32 home runs, 89 RBI’s, 7 stolen bases, and 83 walks combined between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas in 2025. The triples, home runs, stolen bases, and walks were all career highs for Montes.

Montes had his best season in 2024, combined between Single-A Modesto and High-A Everett. That season, Montes hit .288 with 82 runs, 129 hits, 21 doubles, 2 triples, 21 home runs, 105 RBI’s, 5 stolen bases, and 78 walks. The runs, hits, doubles, and RBI’s were all career highs for Montes.

Overall, Montes has played 4 minor league seasons. Montes has played 374 games with 250 runs, 370 hits, 72 doubles, 16 triples, 76 home runs, 296 RBI’s, 17 stolen bases, 250 walks, and a .273 batting average.

Another rumored trade for Donovan is the with San Franisco Giants. That has the Giants sending starting pitcher Carson Whisenhunt and shortstop/second baseman Gavin Kilen to the Cardinals for Donovan. Whisenhunt, 25, currently ranks as the Giants 7th best prospect.

Whisenhunt was 2-1 with a 5.01 ERA, 5 games, 5 starts, 23.1 innings, 16 strikeouts, 12 walks, and a whip of 1.46 in 2025. Whisenhunt made his MLB debut on July 28, 2025, against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In Triple-A Sacramento, Whisenhunt was 9-5 with a 4.43 ERA, 21 games, 21 starts, 107.2 innings, 95 strikeouts, 35 walks, and a whip of 1.37 in 2025. The wins were a career high for Whisenhunt.

Whisenhunt had his best season in 2024, combined between Single-A San Jose and Triple-A Sacramento. That season, Whisenhunt was 3-5 with a 5.17 ERA, 27 games, 27 starts, 109.2 innings, 141 strikeouts, 56 walks, and a whip of 0.98. The games, starts, innings, and strikeouts were all career highs for Whisenhunt.

Overall, in the minors, Whisenhunt has played 4 seasons. Whisenhunt is 13-11 with a 4.19 ERA, 68 games, 67 starts, 283.2 innings, 333 strikeouts, 115 walks, and a whip of 1.04.

Kilen, 21, currently ranks as the Giants 3rd best prospect. The Giants drafted Kilen 13th overall in the 1st round of the June 2025 MLB Draft.

Kilen hit .205 with 5 runs, 8 hits, 1 double, 1 triple, 5 RBI’s, and 3 walks in Single-A San Jose in 2025.

If any of those rumors are true, I think the Mariners would give the Cardinals the best return.

The Cardinals would get two right-handed hitters with power in Arroyo and Montes. The Cardinals desperately need right-handed hitters with power. They currently have too many left-handed hitters. Cijntje would give the Cardinals an arm they could use in the starting rotation or even in the bullpen, depending on how he develops.

Which team do you think would give the Cardinals the best return for Donovan?