The New York Yankees will have to find an upgrade at third base at some point if they want to make it back to the World Series. Oswaldo Cabrera is off to a solid start, but he did the same thing last year before regressing. DJ LeMahieu is still on the injured list, but his production from last year should be enough for the Yankees to start looking for better options.
The St. Louis Cardinals could finally trade Nolan Arenado at the trade deadline, but he may not end up being the player the Yankees target. Sports Illustrated’s Dylan Sanders urged the Yankees to go after Brendan Donovan.
“The Cardinals are in the midst of a rebuild and this could be by far their best chance to move on from Donovan,” wrote Sanders. “He has been spectacular this season, having more trade value than ever. The 28-year-old has posted a .367/.406/.541 slash line with three home runs and 15 RBI. He leads the NL in batting average. He could fill in to that third base role or open up the option to move Jazz Chisholm to the hot corner and have Donovan at second base.”
Donovan has made 29 career starts at third base and 127 starts at second base. Acquiring him would give the Yankees a clear upgrade over LeMahieu and Cabrera.
Donovan is also more than just a rental. He will not hit free agency until 2028 and could save the Yankees from another third base search in the offseason. Spotrac projects him to sign a six-year, $122 million deal when he does hit free agency.
He has a .285 career batting average in four seasons and a .779 OPS. He has also won a Gold Glove as a utility player. He would cost the Yankees some prospects, but he will be a hot name on the trade block once the Cardinals decide to start selling.
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