Why the return of a healthy Brendan Donovan is like fresh oil to the Cardinals’ lineup
He can just about do it all.
Sometimes, the best weapon for a baseball lineup can be the scrappy do-it-all player. The MVP types like Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado are indispensable, but the Swiss Army knives like Brendan Donovan keep the line moving and the manager’s mind easier.
A Matt Carpenter/Tommy Edman hybrid with a gold glove to his name, Donovan followed up an impressive 2022 debut (.394 OBP) with a power infused 2023. After proving he can hit for a decent average and post a solid ish OPS, he more than doubled his home run total (5 to 11) even though he played in 31 less games.
It was Donovan’s season-ending elbow surgery in July that sent the team offense downhill. A spark plug anywhere in the lineup, he started 71 games as a leadoff hitter, comprising a .784 OPS. He smokes the ball at Busch too, but doesn’t fold the bat up on the road. It was getting warmer every month, all the way up to his last at-bat on July 29. Donovan collected 25 hits in July, slugging .506 before his elbow shut down the production studios.
The newly minted 27-year-old is under team control until 2028, offering the team a nice comfort zone to start putting together a contract that could buy out a few of those arbitration years. It wouldn’t be a salary capping money move or premature, especially if Donovan answered the bell this summer. He’s the oil that makes the Redbird engine work better.
He reaches base, and then the big boys go to work. Or, he gets the fireworks going with a long ball himself. Donovan makes everyone after him better, working over pitchers to the tune of only 123 strikeouts in 839 career at bats.
A guy who can get on base and not strike out while adding some pop who also happens to carry a crafty glove is quite valuable. He’s the instigator that this lineup needs. It’s not much more complicated than that.
Donovan gives the team a helping hand at third, shortstop, second base, and the outfield in a pinch. He’s athletic enough to fill in up the middle, take reps at first base, and post up in left or right field. Security in the field and versatility at the plate; everything a growing team needs.
Here’s the thing. The need for pitching was so dire that the offense didn’t get much thought this offseason. Players like Tyler O’Neill and minor league slugger Moises Gomez departed, but that was only to clear a logjam in the Major League outfield. While spending most of the year in the top ten in OPS and batting average, the Cardinals dropped to 15th overall in baseball. In the National League, they were 7th and 8th, respectively in OPS and BA.
Being middle of the pack is nothing to brag about, but a return to form for Arenado and Goldschmidt should help the turnaround. Nolan Gorman is a year wiser, and Jordan Walker only got better as 2023 aged. A whole season of Lars Nootbaar and Alec Burleson could spur answers the team has been looking for.
All of those potentials can benefit from the presence of Donovan, who will not be starring in the final batch of episodes for Yellowstone. The team had their best months with him out there playing everywhere, and it turned really shitty when he hit the IL for good. The guy is low key good at the moment. Being great isn’t far behind. Is there more power where that ‘23 HR uptick came from? Can that gold glove revive the infield defense? How much hairspray is the right amount for proper flow?
St. Louis needs all the help they can get, and that includes the offense.