Chaim Bloom, president of Cardinals baseball operations, obviously didn’t share many details about the trade talks when he spoke to reporters (including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) this weekend during the Cards’ Winter Warm-Up fan event, but Bloom would “I think ideal“I would like to see Donovan’s situation resolved somehow by the start of Spring Training. In any case, this is a lot less concrete than Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen firmly announcing the end of the Kettle Marte trade talks, but it’s an indication that Bloom may have a loose deadline in mind.
This could be a way to put a little more pressure on Donovan’s suitors to raise their offer, or it could reflect the simple fact that Donovan and the Cardinals have a season to prepare for, and the constant trade buzz will remain a distraction. While the hot stove won’t cool completely until a deal is actually done, Donovan would prefer to focus solely on baseball during the Grapefruit League action. The fact that rumors are weighing so heavily on Donovan that it is affecting his play is not helping Donovan, the Cardinals or the team’s efforts to get a high return on the trade market.
Since Donovan will be subject to arbitration for the next two seasons, there is no immediate reason why St. Louis should trade him this offseason. Then the situation became a little less dire Nolan Arenado was dealt to the Diamondbacks, opening up the Cardinals’ third base spot and reducing the need for Donovan to be moved out of second base.
Moving some of Arenado’s salary was certainly a factor in his appeal, but from a pure baseball standpoint, the rebuilding Cardinals wanted as much runway as possible so their younger players could get regular at-bats. Nolan Gorman And Thomas Saggese should benefit from more available playing time at third base, but both Bloom and manager Oliver Marmol reiterated this weekend (to Gould and other media) that top prospects JJ Wetherholt has a chance to make the Cards’ Opening Day roster.
Baseball America ranked Wetherholt fourth on its updated August list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and MLB Pipeline has Wetherholt fifth on the current list. The 23-year-old infielder will surely be top-ranked again when the 2026 prospect lists are released, as Wetherholt excelled in his first full pro season, hitting .300/.425/.466 over 275 plate appearances for Double-A Springfield, then hitting .314/.416/562 over 221 PA after an in-season promotion to Triple-A ball.
Wetherholt totaled 17 home runs and 23 steals (of 26 opportunities) over the entire 496 PA and 109 total games while playing primarily as a shortstop, but he made 20 appearances as a second baseman and 12 appearances at third base. The Cardinals won’t rush things with their prized prospect, and if the hot corner is likely to be Wetherholt’s starting point for his big league career, his field development could be the deciding factor in whether or not he can break camp. However, both evaluators and the Cardinals themselves think highly of Wetherholt’s glovework and believe he can adapt anywhere.
“There’s a versatility there. His mentality, in my opinion, will allow him to excel in each of these things [positions]Marmol said. ‘It is a special mentality. It’s one that still amazes me.”
The shortstop position may not remain open for that long for Wetherholt Win is there, as Winn is one of the best defenders in the game. Winn won his first Gold Glove in 2025 despite playing through a martial meniscus tear during the second half of the season, and he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in late September to correct the problem.
The relatively minor procedure was not expected to impact Winn’s readiness for Spring Training, and Bloom confirmed this to reporters (including Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) this weekend. Win is “not even in rehabilitation mode. Currently he is only preparing for the season” said Bloom.
Ivan Herrera is also making good progress in his recovery after surgery in October to remove a bone spur from his throwing arm. Bloom said Herrera has begun his throwing program, and his offseason preparation will include the start of his hitting in the coming week, as well as blocking and receiving work behind the plate. Herrera primarily functioned as a DH during an injury-marred 2025 season, as he played in just 107 games. While his bat certainly didn’t suffer (19 home runs and a .284/.373/.464 slash line in 452 PA), Herrera would like to return to catching in 2026.
Defense was seen as a question mark for Herrera even before his health issues surfaced, so his future as a catcher is far from settled. Spring Training will provide some answers regarding Herrera’s recovery and development, but “I think it is difficult to evaluate strictly in the springMarmol said. ‘If you think about what pitchers do in the spring, they work on a specific pitch. You’re not game planning against a hitter. There are certain things we can continue to address and improve in the spring. But I think that’s a difficult question.”
As Goold notes, Herrera’s ability to catch impacts the Cardinals’ broader roster decisions. If Herrera is going to be a primary DH again, the Cards will have to select two good catchers – Pedro Pagesand one of Yohel Pozo or Jimmy Crooks. If the Cardinals feel good about Herrera’s defense to make him a part-time backstop, that likely means Pozo and Crooks will start the season in Triple-A, or one of them could potentially be trade fodder.
#Cardinals #Notes #Donovan #Wetherholt #Winn #Herrera