The trade possibilities are still endless for the New York Yankees at this stage in the offseason, but they should strike while the iron’s hot and call up the St. Louis Cardinals in hopes of hammering out a deal sooner rather than later.
St. Louis sent right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray, a former Yankee and perhaps their top trade chip, to the Boston Red Sox for left-handed pitching prospect Brandon Clarke and right-hander Richard Fitts, who New York sent to its division rivals in December 2023 as part of the Alex Verdugo trade.
As the Cardinals continue to retool and look towards the future with new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom at the helm after missing the playoffs for a third-straight year, the Yankees match up rather well with them as a potential trade partner on multiple fronts.
Previous Rumors
Several reports and rumors have connected the Yankees to All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan over the last handful of years, who slashed .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs in 2025 while primarily playing second base.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand was among the most recent insiders to connect the Bronx Bombers to Donovan, as he did so following the GM Meetings earlier in November.
“Infielder Brendon Donovan, who is arbitration-eligible for two more years, is also drawing a lot of interest and seems likely to be traded,” Feinsand wrote. “The Yankees, Dodgers, Royals and Guardians are among the teams believed to be potential landing spots for Donovan.”
The Yankees were also listed among the potential landing spots for future Hall of Fame third baseman Nolan Arenado last offseason amidst their hole at the hot corner. The club eventually acquired Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies at the deadline, though, thus taking them out of the running for Arenado, who showed significant signs of regression last season with a .237/.289/.377 slash line in 436 plate appearances.
Sep 14, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero (59) throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the eighth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Who Else Could Yankees Target?
Beyond Donovan, the Cardinals have several players who would be enticing fits for the Yankees.
Outfielder Lars Nootbaar falls under that category given New York’s need at the position. He had the worst offensive season of his career with a .686 OPS across 583 trips to the plate in 2025 before undergoing surgery on both of his heels to repair a Haglund’s deformity, which could keep him out through Opening Day.
If Nootbaar isn’t a realistic option as a result, perhaps the Yankees could find a way to pry first baseman/corner outfielder Alec Burleson away from St. Louis after he slashed .290/.343/.459 with 19 homers last season. Such a trade isn’t likely considering he has three years of club control left, but it’s at least worth a shot.
On the pitching front, left-handed reliever JoJo Romero would make a ton of sense as a potential addition for New York. The 29-year-old is entering his final year of team control after logging a 2.07 ERA in 61 innings during the 2025 campaign, and he shouldn’t come at an extremely high price tag if St. Louis is willing to send him away.
Trade talks should ramp up over the next few weeks leading into the Winter Meetings, and the Yankees should absolutely call up the Cardinals in hopes of finding common ground on a deal.
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