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Blue Jays should pivot to another infielder after Bo Bichette departure.
The Toronto Blue Jays could look at the trade market to replace Bo Bichette.
In the span of just over 12 hours, Toronto saw Kyle Tucker sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then, the next morning, Bichette signed with the New York Mets. It was disappointing news for the Blue Jays and their fans. But they could look at the trade market to replace Bichette.
One name that the Blue Jays should pursue in a trade is Brendan Donovan from the St. Louis Cardinals. Donovan’s name has come up in trade rumors, and he perfectly fits into the Blue Jays system.
Donovan is a versatile infielder who plays sound defensively and is a contact-first hitter, which is exactly the system the Blue Jays play.
With Toronto, Donovan can fill a similar role to Ernie Clement and be a super utility player. The veteran infielder can play second base, third base, and left field, and would be an upgrade over Davis Schneider on the bench.
Donovan hit .287 with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs last season. His career-high is 14 home runs and 73 RBIs, which he accomplished two years ago when he appeared in 153 games.
The 29-year-old is under team control for two more seasons, so he could be part of two playoff runs for the Blue Jays. Donovan was an All-Star in 2025 and won the Gold Glove Award in 2022.
What Would it Cost For Blue Jays to Acquire Donovan?
St. Louis has been shopping Donovan, and Toronto could make a trade work.
The Cardinals are holding out for a big return for Donovan, so two top prospects could be enough to get it done.
Looking at the Blue Jays system, Toronto could part ways with left-handed pitcher Johnny King, who’s the team’s fifth-ranked prospect. King is 19-years-old and made it to Single-A Dunedin last season. In Dundedin, he went 1-3 with a 3.35 ERA over 11 games, including 10 starts.
Along with King, Toronto could part ways with outfielder RJ Schreck, who’s the team’s 10th-ranked prospect. Schreck was acquired for Justin Turner at the 2024 trade deadline, and he has risen through the system.
However, Schreck appears to be blocked in the Blue Jays outfield which is why he could be moved. Schreck could play in the majors next season for St. Louis and make an immediate impact.
Along with those two, Toronto could give up lower-tier prospects, but two top-10 prospects in their system should be enough to get Donovan.
Cardinals Open to Moving Donovan
Despite Donovan being a fan-favorite, his name has come up in trade rumors.
Cardinals beat reporter John Denton of MLB.com does expect St. Louis to try to move him.
“Having already traded veterans Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado for a haul of prospects this winter, the Cardinals are in the beginning stages of their first full-scale rebuild in more than three decades,” Denton wrote. “Trading Donovan, their lone All-Star representative in 2025, would fall in line with the club’s goals of shedding payroll and creating playing opportunities for their younger players.
“The Cardinals have Donovan’s likely replacement at second base already in their system, as top organizational prospect JJ Wetherholt is expected to push for a spot on the Opening Day roster in Spring Training.”
With Donovan having two more years of club control, St. Louis should be able to get plenty for him.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL, MLB and Cleveland Browns for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
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