ST. LOUIS -- Fearing that Brendan Donovan’s cost-controlled prime years could expire before their rebuild puts them in position to contend again, the Cardinals dealt the All-Star infielder-outfielder to the Mariners for three Minor League prospects and two Competitive Balance Round Draft picks in a three-team trade that also involved the Rays, the team announced Monday.
In return for the 29-year-old Donovan, the Cardinals received 22-year-old formerly ambidextrous pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (the Mariners' No. 7 prospect, per MLB Pipeline), 20-year-old free-swinging center fielder Tai Peete (Mariners' No. 11), 24-year-old outfielder Colton Ledbetter (Rays' No. 24) and the No. 68 and No. 72 picks in July’s MLB Draft.
Cijntje, who previously pitched with both arms while at Mississippi State and in the Mariners' system before vowing to focus only on throwing right-handed, is the centerpiece of the Cardinals’ haul and is ranked No. 91 by MLB Pipeline on its Top 100 Prospects list.
TRADE DETAILS
Cardinals get: RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje (SEA No. 7 prospect/MLB No. 91), OF Tai Peete (SEA No. 11), OF Colton Ledbetter (TB No. 24), Competitive Balance Round B picks (No. 68 overall, from SEA; No. 72 overall, from TB)
Mariners get: INF/OF Brendan Donovan
Rays get: 3B Ben Williamson (from SEA)
Cijntje -- a native of Curacao whose father, Mechangelo, pitched professionally in the Netherlands -- went 5-7 with a 3.99 ERA over 26 games (23 starts) at High-A and Double-A in 2025. In 108 1/3 innings pitched, he struck out 120 batters while walking just 51. The No. 15 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft was naturally a left-hander early in his formative baseball years, but he started throwing right-handed while trying to emulate his father.
On MLB’s 20/80 talent rankings scale, Cijntje’s right-handed rating is considered to be a 55, per MLB Pipeline. His mid-90s fastball has a 60 rating, while his changeup landed a 55 rating and his control is at 45.
“We are pleased that, because of this deal, we will add five more promising young players to the talent pipeline that has always fueled this organization’s sustained success,” said Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, whose franchise owns picks Nos. 13, 32, 50, 68, 72 and 86 early in July's MLB Draft. “We believe we’ve added exciting athleticism and upside on both sides of the ball, with more to come in this summer’s Draft."
As for Peete, he was the No. 30 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of high school in Sharpsburg, Ga. In 2025, while playing for High-A Everett as a 19-year-old, Peete hit 19 homers, 24 doubles and four triples and had 25 stolen bases in 125 games. However, he slashed just .217/.288/.404 (.692 OPS) largely because he struck out 162 times.
Ledbetter was a former college teammate of Cijntje’s at Mississippi State. The outfielder, who was a second-round pick in 2023 by the Rays, reached Double-A Montgomery in '25. In 123 games, he had seven homers, 24 doubles, four triples, 49 RBIs and 37 stolen bases while slashing .265/.337/.378 (.715 OPS).
Donovan was the Cardinals’ lone All-Star in 2025 and had commanded interest from several contending teams this winter as the Cards worked to deal him for the kind of difference-making prospects that will speed up their rebuilding project. Bloom said in mid-January that the club felt no urgency to trade Donovan because he was still under contract for the '26 and ’27 seasons.
However, waiting to deal Donovan at the MLB Trade Deadline or in the winter of 2027 could have dramatically hurt the Cardinals’ bargaining power and the quality of prospects they could get in return. Bloom has said that outside interest was especially high on Donovan in December, but those talks were shelved while the team worked to trade veteran catcher/infielder Willson Contreras to the Red Sox.
Seattle, which made it to the ALCS before losing to Toronto in October, acted quickly after third baseman Eugenio Suárez agreed to a one-year, $15 million free-agent deal with the Reds over the weekend. The Mariners could hit the pesky Donovan -- one of MLB’s most difficult hitters to strike out in 2025 -- in the leadoff spot ahead of superstars Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh and sluggers Josh Naylor and Randy Arozarena. Donovan established or tied career highs with a .287 batting average and a .422 slugging mark, and he tied an MLB record with four doubles in a game on Sept. 23 as part of his 32 overall on the season.
"All of us here are so grateful for Brendan’s contributions to the Cardinals and to our community, which will last well beyond his time here," Bloom added. "He is first class as both a player and a person, and that combination is rare. We wish him and his wonderful family well.”
In the beginning stages of their first major overhaul in more than three decades, the Cardinals have traded high-salaried veterans Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Contreras this offseason to acquire nine prospects. Donovan doesn’t necessarily fall into the same category, still in the midst of his prime and set to make $5.8 million in 2026 after agreeing to a deal with the Cards that allowed him to avoid a salary arbitration hearing for a second straight year.
The Cardinals have just three players on their 40-man roster older than 30 years old -- relievers Ryne Stanek, Riley O’Brien and Nick Raquet. Donovan, who turned 29 years old on Jan. 16, had been the club’s oldest remaining position player, but that distinction falls to reserve catcher Yohel Pozo (28). Also, with the trading of Donovan, the Cardinals do not have a player with an All-Star nod on the club for the first time in decades.