Could the New York Yankees pivot away from Cody Bellinger and swing this All-Star trade?
The New York Yankees still appear to be at a standstill with Cody Bellinger, who is the top position player remaining on the free-agent market.
Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette have all signed lucrative contracts, thereby increasing Bellinger's price in the process.
The Yankees were already reluctant to give Bellinger what he wanted before those players found new homes, so imagine how concerned New York is now?
It's entirely possible that the Yankees do pivot away from Bellinger, and Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media has pitched an intriguing trade target in the event that New York does decide to move in a different direction: St. Louis Cardinals super utility man Brendan Donovan.
"The financial disparity is the clincher. Bellinger is seeking a mega-deal that will likely hamstring payroll flexibility for half a decade," Wilson wrote. "Donovan, meanwhile, is making a fraction of that cost, allowing the Yankees to allocate resources to other needs — like the bullpen or starting rotation — while still securing a borderline All-Star offensive contributor."
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan. Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images.Donovan made an All-Star appearance last season courtesy of slashing .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI over 515 plate appearances. And while he primarily played second base, he also spent some time in left field.
This is hardly the first time this winter that the Yanks have been linked to a potential Donovan trade. They were apparently interested in the 29-year-old earlier in the offseason, and if Bellinger walks, expect their interest in Donovan to resurface.
Of course, Donovan isn't Bellinger. While he has solid plate discipline (lifetime .361 OBP), his lack of power is a problem, and he also pales in comparison to the former NL MVP as a defender.
While Donovan is capable of playing a wide variety of positions, he doesn't particularly excel at any of them. Throw in the fact that he still has two years of club control remaining, and he'll probably be very expensive in terms of prospects.
If Bellinger does leave, the Yankees would probably be more likely to roll with Jasson Dominguez as their starting left fielder and add someone like Austin Hays as a platoon partner. Chances are, they aren't swinging a costly trade for Donovan.