8:50am: Denton now reports that a multi-year deal no longer appears to be in place by today’s financial exchange deadline. The two sides can continue negotiations on a multi-year deal even after the arbitration figures are changed. Likewise, the Cards and Donovan could agree to a one-year deal today and continue negotiations on a multi-year deal between now and Opening Day.
8:05am: The Cardinals are nearing a multi-year deal with the utility Brendan Donovanreports John Denton of MLB.com. Donovan, a client of the Bledsoe Agency, was eligible for compensation for the first time this offseason and was projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $3.6MM in his first outing with the program. The multi-year contract will cover salary for at least two of his three arbitration seasons.
Denton added that the Cards have also discussed a multi-year deal with the outfielder Lars Nootbaarbut the two sides could not agree. He is expected to agree to a one-year deal later today, avoiding an appeals hearing in the process. Swartz revealed that Nootbaar will receive a salary of $2.5MM in what is also his first season of eligibility. Like Donovan, Nootbaar is currently under club control through 2027.
Donovan, 28 later this month, has established himself as one of the game’s most valuable multi-position players. The versatile left-hander finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting back in 2022 and won the Golden Glove for excellence at six different positions that season: all four infield spots and both corner outfielders. In three major league seasons, he slashed .280/.364/.407 in just under 1500 plate appearances.
Donovan isn’t dominant (30 career homers, .126 ISO) but he’s drawing walks at an above-average 9.4% clip and is one of the hardest hitters in all of baseball (career 13.7 K%, including 12.4 K% 2024). He recently caught a career-best 14 long balls, though that came with a low 7.2% walk rate. Regardless of how he got there, though, Donovan has been an above-average hitter in all three of his major league seasons, with a wRC+ rating, and is capable of contributing to sharp defense at third base, second base and the outfield. corners at least.
Whether the Cardinals are able to secure any free agent seasons on a multi-year deal remains to be seen. Both Denton and Derrick Goold of St. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggested the Cards could approach the Donovan deal the same way they approached it. Tommy EdmanLast winter’s story: closing out his remaining seasons to secure a fee without extending the club’s existing control window. There’s a benefit to that in the cards, to be sure, but starting at least one more season would obviously be a big deal — if both sides can find something in common. Donovan’s first free-agent season will be his age-31 campaign.
Nootbaar, 27, is coming off an injury-shortened season but still posted a solid .244/.342/.417 slash with twelve homers in 405 plate appearances last year. He slashed .246/.351/.426 with a 14% walk rate and a 19.8% strikeout rate in 1255 plate appearances since 2022. He has proven capable of handling all three outfield positions but has earned better marks for his glove work in the corners than in center. With the two sides unable to agree on a multi-year deal, it appears he will take a one-year deal and perhaps revisit multi-year talks next winter – ideally after a healthy season.
Donovan and Nootbaar are two of six Cardinals eligible for arbitration this winter. St. Louis also needs to strengthen deals nearby Ryan Helsleyit’s okay Andre Pallante and the rest JoJo Romero again John King. The deadline to change the salary figures is noon CT today. Like most teams, the Cardinals have used a file-and-trial approach in recent years, meaning they will use today’s deadline as an unofficial deadline to negotiate one-year deals. There is nothing technically stopping teams and players from continuing to work on one-year deals once the stats are changed, but most teams will continue to negotiate multi-year deals (or one-year deals with the option) once the stats are changed. changed.
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