The Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Rays reportedly agreed to a large three-team commerce on Monday centered round veteran utility participant Brendan Donovan. In whole, 5 gamers and a draft choose had been moved as a part of the swap, together with third baseman Ben Williamson and former first-round draft picks Jurrangelo Cijntje and Tai Peete.
As is the case at any time when a notable commerce occurs throughout Main League Baseball’s offseason, I am right here to offer evaluation on every of the gamers and to guage how the groups fared. That evaluation is then diminished to bite-size within the type of a letter grade — that half is (by far) the least vital of the train.
Earlier than we get to the evaluation, this is a have a look at the commerce once more in its entirety:
- Mariners obtain: UTL Brendan Donovan
- Rays obtain: 3B Ben Williamson
- Cardinals obtain: SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, OF Tai Peete, OF Colton Ledbetter, two compensatory draft picks
Let’s proceed.
Mariners grade: B
Simply final week, three members of our baseball workers predicted Donovan would find yourself on the Mariners earlier than spring coaching began. Generally, player-team suits are too apparent to really occur. That seemed prefer it may find yourself being the case right here, with Donovan’s tenure in St. Louis stretching deeper into the offseason than most would have anticipated again in November. That is life for you.
The 29-year-old Donovan is a compelling match for the Mariners due to his offensive monitor document and his defensive versatility. In 4 big-league seasons, he is but to supply an OPS+ under 114. Final 12 months’s Mariners membership, a 90-win group that nearly received the pennant, had simply 4 gamers clear that mark in additional than 300 journeys to the plate. Donovan’s offensive recreation is constructed round self-discipline and call. He is comfy working at-bats and he is related on greater than 90% of the in-zone swings he is taken as a big-league participant. When he places a ball in play, it is often on a line and sometimes labeled as being hit laborious. That is an excellent mixture, and he ought to proceed to search out success regardless of now enjoying his house video games within the least pleasant offensive setting within the sport for left-handed batters, per Statcast.
Defensively, Donovan has ample expertise throughout the diamond, with most of his current burn coming at second base or in left discipline. The Mariners have shed a number of choices on the scorching nook this winter (Williamson on this deal and Eugenio Suárez by means of free company), so they could desire to deploy him at third base most days, relying on how they fill out the rest of their roster.
Donovan is below group management by means of the 2027 season, which helps clarify why the Mariners had to surrender Cijntje and Williamson to finish the deal. Seattle most likely will not remorse it within the lengthy haul. The Mariners have proven an actual expertise for pitching improvement and so they have one other promising younger infielder in the way in which in Colt Emerson. Add in Donovan’s rapid influence on a membership that will once more compete for the pennant and this is able to be a likable commerce with out the opposite items.
Cardinals grade: A
Cijntje, 22, was the fifteenth choose within the 2024 draft. CBS Sports activities simply ranked him because the Forty fourth-best prospect within the minors. This is the extent of his writeup:
Cijntje, finest identified for being a switch-pitcher who can clear 90 mph with both arm, was Seattle’s first-round choose in 2024. He reached Double-A in his first full skilled season regardless of some underwhelming numbers that make it clear his future is solely as a right-hander. Certainly, he surrendered a .618 OPS and recorded a virtually 20% strikeout-minus-walk fee throwing righty, versus 1.117 OPS and extra walks than strikeouts as a lefty. Cijntje might be simply dandy when and if he provides up on the novelty act: he has a sneaky good right-handed fastball in addition to a swing-and-miss breaker that must lead to a middle-of-the-rotation future.
Cijntje joins a vastly improved group of Cardinals pitching prospects. Courting again to final summer time, they’ve now drafted Liam Doyle and added Cijntje, Hunter Dobbins, Richard Fitts, Yhoiker Fajardo, Brandon Clarke, Blake Aita, and Jack Martinez to the group by means of trades. Clearly that they had a need to improve their pitching depth with out having to pay for it on the free-agent market.
Peete, 20, was the thirtieth choose within the 2023 Draft. He is a lefty-swinging outfielder with dynamic power-speed upside, however usability continues to be a difficulty — particularly with respect to a virtually 33% whiff fee. Final 12 months in Excessive-A, he hit .217/.288/.404 with 19 house runs and 25 stolen bases in 125 video games. Peete’s recreation is centered on pulling and lifting the ball. If he could make contact somewhat extra steadily, he has an opportunity to make an influence on the big-league degree.
Ledbetter, 24, was the fifty fifth choose within the 2023 Draft by the use of Mississippi State. He spent final season in Double-A, hitting .265/.337/.378 with seven house runs and 37 stolen bases. Ledbetter, a left-handed swinger, has struggled with same-handed pitching all through his skilled profession. He is a succesful athlete who can play throughout the outfield, although he is finest deployed in a nook spot. Add these sentences collectively and you’ve got a participant who might be topping out as a spare outfielder.
The 2 compensatory choose ought to examine in round Nos. 68 and 72. In whole, that provides the Cardinals 5 picks within the prime 72 total within the 2026 Draft.
Rays grade: B
Williamson, 25, is a former second-round choose who batted .253/.294/.310 (76 OPS+) with a house run and 5 stolen bases in his 85-game introduction to the majors. He is a improbable third baseman who would doubtless be earmarked for a future Gold Glove Award if he may hit extra. Because it stands, Williamson lacks the swing path and bat velocity to hit for energy. His method can be mismatched: he gives much less inside the zone and extra exterior of the zone than the league-average participant.
With none positive aspects on the offensive finish — and and not using a positional swap to shortstop — Williamson’s recreation most likely appears to be like one thing like Ke’Bryan Hayes‘. There are worse fates to expertise.
