How SF Giants can easily pivot to another target after Ketel Marte snub

A recent report from The Athletic has stated that the SF Giants are now probably out of the running for Ketel Marte, due to his no-trade list. The Giants were one of the five teams that Marte does not want to be traded to this offseason, along with the Yankees, Athletics, Pirates, and Cardinals.

That is certainly bad news for the Giants, who previously looked like they might be trying to swing a trade for the Diamondbacks' All-Star second baseman. Fortunately for San Francisco, there is an easy option to pivot to. The SF Giants are now rumored to be one of the frontrunners to land St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan.

SF Giants can pivot to Brendan Donovan after Ketel Marte news

They will have to outbid the Seattle Mariners to land Donovan, according to a recent report that said Seattle and San Francisco are the frontrunners. Hopefully, the Giants have the juice to outbid the Mariners. After all, the Mariners could still be in the running for Marte. The Giants are likely not going to be able to land Marte given the no-trade clause and the fact that he plays for an NL West rival, so it might be Donovan or bust at second base in terms of the trade market.

Donovan, who turns 29 next month, will be entering his fifth big-league season and his two years remaining before he hits free agency. He was a 7th-round pick in 2018 who climbed prospect charts and debuted in 2022 as the Cardinals' No. 12 prospect. In four seasons, he's accumulated 11.1 bWAR, and was third-place in NL ROY voting in 2022. He was named to his first All-Star team in 2025, though he fell off towards the end of the season (and missed 26 games with an injury).

Still, he finished 2025 with a 119 OPS+, capping off a very consistent four-year stretch. His OPS+ was 114 in both 2023 and 2024, after finishing at 124 in 2022. His OPS has stayed between .759 and .787 throughout his career.

Donovan would be a much better second baseman than anyone on the Giants roster last season, and while he's not Ketel Marte, he is a very solid backup plan. He is also versatile, with the ability to slide over to third base, shortstop, or a corner outfield slot if San Francisco needs him to.

While the Marte news is a bummer, Giants fans might soon have a new second baseman to root for if they can swing a trade with the Cardinals for Donovan.