Chaim Bloom acquired pitchers in each of the four major deals they've made this offseason.
The St. Louis Cardinals continued their offseason teardown on Monday afternoon by trading 2025 All-Star Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners for a package of two prospects and a comp B draft pick. They also got an outfield prospect from the Tampa Bay Rays and another comp B draft pick.
If your head is spinning because of offseason trades of Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado and Donovan, we don't blame you. While the Cardinals did acquire some position players in the deals, Chaim Bloom clearly targeted young pitching throughout.
Here's a more detailed look at the stockpile of arms that St. Louis has acquired this winter:
About Brandon Clarke (from Sonny Gray trade)
Now 22 years old, he was a fifth-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2024 out of the Florida junior college ranks. He went 0-3 in 2025 at a combination of Single-A and High-A, making 14 starts and pitching to a 4.03 ERA. He only threw 38.0 innings and is expected to make his debut in 2028.
He is armed with elite strikeout stuff, having fanned 60 batters in those 38.0 innings. Baseball America currently ranks him as the No. 6 prospect in the organization.
About Richard Fitts (from Sonny Gray trade)
A 26-year-old Alabama native, Fitts is a former sixth-round pick of the New York Yankees. He had been acquired by Boston before the 2024 season. Ironically, neither him or Clarke were drafted or developed by Bloom during his tenure in Boston (2020-2023).
Fitts went 2-4 last season in the big leagues (11 games, 10 starts), with a 5.00 ERA. He threw 45.0 innings but dealt with injury issues.
He was better in a 2024 cameo, going 0-1 with a 1.74 ERA in four starts. He has just 49 strikeouts in 65.2 innings, so he lacks the swing-and-miss stuff that teams desire, but he should be a reliable rotation option in 2026.
About Hunter Dobbins (from Willson Contreras trade)
Now 26 years old, Dobbins is another major league-ready arm for the Cardinals. He debuted last season, going 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA for Boston (11 starts). He struck out just 45 in 61.0 innings before tearing his ACL. He should be ready to make an impact early in the 2026 season, and he could instantly slot in the St. Louis rotation alongside Matthew Liberatore, Andre Pallante and Dustin May, who spent part of the 2025 season with the Red Sox as well.
His rehab is going well and he faced hitters for the first time earlier this week.
About Yhoiker Fajardo (from Willson Contreras trade)
Now ranked as the No. 11 prospect in the organization (BA), Fajardo is just 19 years old. He made 19 appearances in 2025 between Rookie Ball and Single-A Salem, going 1-4 with a 2.25 ERA. He does have the ability to miss bats, as he struck out 83 batters in 72.0 innings.
He was signed in February of 2024 by the Red Sox out of Venezuela.
About Blake Aita (from Willson Contreras trade)
Now 22-years-old, Aita is the No. 30 prospect in the organization, according to Baseball America. A sixth-round pick of the Red Sox in 2024, he went 5-7 last season with a 3.98 ERA at Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville. He also doesn't miss many bats, as he fanned only 99 batters in 115.1 innings.
He was a sixth-round pick of the Red Sox in 2024 out of Kennesaw State.
About Jack Martinez (from Nolan Arenado trade)
Now 22 years old, Martinez was selected in the eighth round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Arizona State by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He did not play after getting drafted, so he has yet to appear in a professional game. He went 6-4 for the Sun Devils in 2025, posting a 5.47 ERA. He struck out 110 batters in 77.1 innings, showcasing the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that teams salivate over.
He's a wild card, but he's an interesting one.
About Jurrangelo Cijntje (from Brendan Donovan trade)
Cijntje was ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the Mariners organization and checked in at No. 91 overall in the latest MLB Pipeline rankings. It should be noted that he was not in the Top 100 for Baseball America, so there are some differing opinions.
A first-round pick of the M's in 2024 out of Mississippi State, he reached as high as Double-A in 2025, making seven appearances for the Arkansas Travelers. Now 22, he's famously a "switch-pitcher," but it's unclear if the Cardinals will continue to develop him in that way. The Mariners had just announced him as a right-handed pitcher only in their spring training invite list.
He went 5-7 with a 3.99 ERA, striking out 120 batters in 108.1 innings at High-A and Double-A.
He is better as a right-hander.
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