SF Giants should cut Dodgers in line for highly coveted trade target

The SF Giants have been very quiet at the Winter Meetings in Orlando so far. However, the latest rumor suggests that the team may have some trade interest in St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan who the Los Angeles Dodgers also may have interest in.

Second base is definitely a spot the Giants can look to upgrade this offseason even though addressing the pitching staff is probably the highest priority for the front office. Casey Schmitt has undergone wrist surgery and may miss the beginning of spring training but should be ready for the start of the regular season.

SF Giants rumored to be interested in Brendan Donovan

Even if Schmitt was fully healthy though, his solid 2025 campaign still left something to be desired. He slashed .237/.305/.401 with 12 home runs and 40 runs driven in. At times he was one of the best hitters on the team when he got hot at the plate, but he cooled off later in the season which may have had to do with an injury to his wrist after getting hit by a pitch.

Maybe correcting that issue will get him back on track, but second base is one of the few spots in the lineup where the Giants could look to make a meaningful upgrade.

Donovan would represent an upgrade at the position. The soon-to-be 29-year-old has been a very solid hitter in his career. Last season he made the National League All-Star team and slashed .287/.353/.422 with 10 homers and 50 runs batted in.

For a team that struggled with making contact and putting the ball in play consistently, adding a guy with a fairly high batting average like Donovan could do wonders for the lineup.

The Cardinals appear to be looking to rebuild and even though Donovan is projected to make $5.75 million in 2026, they may be trying to amass as many prospects as they can get.

Perhaps the Giants could include Schmitt in a trade for Donovan. They would probably have to part with another prospect or two to get a deal done.

They may also like to keep Schmitt because he proved last season that he can move around the infield and be a solid defender and we know what he is capable of defensively at his natural position of third base where he is blocked in San Francisco due to Matt Chapman.

Clearly, adding Donovan would be an upgrade and it would have the added benefit of swooping in to take a player the Dodgers, and a number of other teams, reportedly have interest in so it would be a win-win.