(ST. LOUIS) — The St. Louis Cardinals shook up their roster Sunday evening, dealing All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan away in a three-team trade that brought back a haul of young talent from the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays.
In the deal, the Cardinals acquired right-handed pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, outfielders Tai Peete and Colton Ledbetter, and two Compensation Round B draft picks — one from each team — projected to land at Nos. 68 and 72 in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom framed the move as an investment in the future, saying the organization believes it has added “exciting athleticism and upside on both sides of the ball.” Bloom also praised Donovan, calling him “first class as both a player and a person” and thanking him for his contributions to the team and the St. Louis community.
The centerpiece of the return is Cijntje, a 22-year-old ambidextrous pitcher from the Netherlands who was taken 15th overall by Seattle in the 2024 draft out of Mississippi State. He entered the 2026 season ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the Mariners organization by Baseball America and posted a 5-7 record with a 3.99 ERA in his first professional season, reaching Double-A. Cijntje has an unusual backstory for a young pro — he represented Curacao in the 2016 Little League World Series, and his father played professional catcher in the Netherlands.
Peete, a 20-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder and the Mariners’ 2023 first-round pick, is also considered a top prospect, ranking No. 10 in Seattle’s system. He hit 19 home runs and drove in 63 runs over 125 games at High-A last season and has shown versatility defensively, playing primarily in center field but also seeing time at third base and second base.
Ledbetter, 24, was Seattle’s trading partner’s contribution to the return — a second-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2023, also out of Mississippi State. A left-handed-hitting outfielder, he has posted back-to-back seasons with 30 or more stolen bases and had already reached Double-A by his third professional season.
Cijntje and Ledbetter were teammates at Mississippi State during the 2023 season.
Donovan, 29, spent four seasons with the Cardinals and earned his first National League All-Star selection in 2025. He also won a Gold Glove Award in 2022 as a utility player and was a Silver Slugger finalist last season.
