Examining Trade Possibilities Between Royals & Cardinals: Brendan Donovan, Noah Cameron, Lars Nootbaar, & More

There have been many reports suggesting that the St. Louis Cardinals are open to trading Brendan Donovan. On December 7th, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discussed the latest information on Donovan. The Cardinals have made it clear they are willing to trade veterans Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras, but other players could be available as well. With the Royals’ well-documented need for offensive production, particularly in the outfield, the Cardinals look to be a natural trade partner. Below is a look at the most realistic targets and how they might fit in Kansas City.

Potential Royals Trade Targets

Brendan Donovan - Free Agent in 2028
Donovan was the Cardinals’ best player in an otherwise disappointing season last year, posting a team-high fWAR of 2.7. While he logged most of his innings last year at second base, he has spent over a third of his career playing in the outfield. If the Royals end up trading for him, the fact that Royals second basemen Michael Massey and Jonathan India have also spent time in the outfield would give the Royals some flexibility to find the defensive combination that works best for them. 

Donovan has been a consistent offensive threat in the Cardinals' lineup, never posting an OPS+ below 114, and his OBP of .353 would have topped all Royals hitters last season, so despite his below-average sprint speed, he would be a good option to lead off for the Royals and pair well with Bobby Witt Jr. batting second.

Alec Burleson - Free Agent in 2029
Burleson is an intriguing option for the outfield. Over the past two seasons, he has hit for a decent average and power, resulting in an OPS+ of 105 and 125 in 2024 and 2025, respectively, which earned him a Silver Slugger in 2025 at the utility position. FanGraphs projects him to maintain his 2025 form into 2026. 

The big issue with Burleson is that his defense is definitely lacking. Last season, he graded in the 14th percentile in fielding range with -4 outs above average, and his fielding run value has been -6 or -7 in each of his three full seasons at the big league level. If the Royals wish to pursue Burleson, his offensive upgrade will come at the cost of his poor defense.

Lars Nootbaar - Free Agent in 2028
On the surface, Nootbaar would not be a huge upgrade in the outfield, batting closer to league-average than previous years with an OPS+ of 95. He also graded well below average in xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG last season, after several strong seasons prior. Despite his regression, his OBP stayed relatively high at .325, which was higher than every qualified Royal other than Witt Jr., Mike Yastrzemski, and Maikel Garcia. Nootbaar also shows good plate discipline, with above-average chase, whiff, and walk rates. 

The issues with Nootbaar are his declining defense and injury history. His defense has regressed over the last two seasons, posting negative run value and OAA in both 2024 and 2025. For his injury history, he has only managed to play in more than 120 games once; however, that season was last year, so hopefully he can maintain his relative health going into next season.

JoJo Romero
While Romero does not fit the Royals’ need in the outfield, Anne Rogers recently reported that the Royals are “looking at the reliever market, particularly a left-on-left arm that could fit in the back of their bullpen.” Romero had an excellent season last year, posting a 1.7 fWAR while assuming closer duties after Ryan Helsley was traded before last year’s trade deadline. While his strikeout and walk rates are less than ideal, both being below average according to Statcast, his ability to induce ground balls and prevent hard hits would be a valuable addition to the back of the bullpen.

Cardinals Players Less Likely to be Involved

Willson Contreras - Free Agent in 2028
Contreras has been a productive hitter in St Louis and has posted an OPS+ of at least 123 and a total fWAR of 8.7 in his three seasons as a Cardinal. There is no doubt that he would provide a massive upgrade to the Royals’ lineup.

Even though he is willing to waive his no-trade clause, according to Katie Woo on the Athletic, the Cardinals are not as motivated to trade Contreras. Another issue is fit, since the Royals have enough depth at first base with Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez, and Jac Caglianone all expected to spend time there. Contreras has spent some time in left field when he was still in Chicago, but he is probably destined to be a designated hitter if there is any potential fit in Kansas City. This would leave the questions in the outfield in Kansas City unanswered.

Nolan Arenado - Free Agent in 2028
It has been widely reported that Trading Arenado is one of Chaim Bloom’s main tasks in his first year as Cardinals’ general manager, and Arenado is reportedly more willing now to waive his no-trade clause than in past years. His defense is still above average, though not quite at the level it once was, and he also had his worst season at the plate since his rookie year, excluding the shortened 2020 season. His OPS+ dropped to 87, and his OBP was below .300 for the first time in his career. Entering his age-35 season, he can no longer be relied upon to be an impact in the lineup. Adding Arenado to the lineup would likely mean that Maikel Garcia would be displaced from third base following his Gold Glove-worthy season.

Another issue is his contract. Arenado is owed $22 million by the Cardinals and $5 million by the Rockies next season, and $15 million in 2027. For the Royals to even consider a trade for Arenado, the Cardinals would have to retain a portion of his salary, something they were willing to do in their trade for Sonny Gray last month. Even so, there are too many issues for a trade involving Arenado to be likely.

Nolan Gorman - Free Agent in 2029
Gorman has spent most of his career playing second and third base, but, as mentioned earlier, the Royals have some potential flexibility with Massey and India being able to play in the outfield. Gorman had a productive year in 2023 with a 2.4 fWAR and 116 OPS+, but he followed that up with disappointing seasons in both 2024 and 2025, with a total fWAR of 0.4 and an average OPS+ of 87.5 in those seasons. If the Royals trade for him, they will hope he can return to his 2023 form, but they should be able to find more impactful options on the market.

Royals-Cardinals Possible Trade Scenarios

Option 1: Major Trade 
Royals Receive:

• 2B Brendan Donovan
• OF Lars Nootbaar
• LHP JoJo Romero

Cardinals Receive:

• LHP Noah Cameron
• 2B/OF Nick Loftin
• LHP Angel Zerpa
• RHP Ben Kudrna (No. 5 prospect)

This is a trade that would involve a lot of moving parts. The Royals would receive an upgrade, with some risk, in their outfield with Nootbaar, in addition to a major upgrade in their lineup with Donovan. JoJo Romero would provide a boost to the back of the bullpen to group with Lucas Erceg and Carlos Estevez. The Royals would likely need to find a new home for either Massey or India to allow Donovan to take over at second base.

The cost is likely worth it for the Royals here. They do give up Cameron, who just finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting, but the Royals have enough pitching depth to allow him to leave. Loftin becomes surplus to needs with the addition of Donovan and Nootbaar, and he can hope to benefit from a change of scenery after having a less impressive 2025 season. Zerpa will give the Cardinals a left-handed bullpen arm with more years of control than Romero, and Kudrna will give the Cardinals a look at a future pitching option.

The key with all of these additions for the Cardinals is controllable assets. With the Cardinals looking less likely to compete in 2026, targeting controllable talent aligns with Bloom’s long-term strategy. Zerpa will be a free agent in 2029, Loftin in 2031, and Cameron in 2032.

Option 2: More Realistic
Royals Receive:

• 2B Brendan Donovan

Cardinals Receive:

• LHP Noah Cameron
• RHP Ben Kudrna (No. 5 prospect)

This trade scenario is much more realistic than option 1, but it leaves the Royals still searching for another option in the lineup, particularly in the outfield. However, the same logic applies to each team. The Royals add an impactful bat to the lineup, and the Cardinals gain a starting pitcher with five years of control plus a promising prospect.

Option 3: Realistic, but Less Ideal
Royals Receive:

• OF Lars Nootbaar
• LHP JoJo Romero

Cardinals Receive:

• RHP Stephen Kolek
• LHP Angel Zerpa

This option is less ideal for the Royals because while it does improve the outfield with the addition of Nootbaar, his offensive ability will not be as impactful as Donovan’s. Trading Zerpa for Romero is a “win-now” bullpen upgrade, and adding Nootbaar brings upside with risk. Kolek was acquired last season from San Diego in exchange for Freddy Fermin. He impressed after joining the Royals with a 1.91 ERA and 2.71 FIP in five starts in Kansas City. He would be ready to slot into the Cardinals' rotation and doesn’t become a free agent until 2031.

Conclusion
Since the Royals and Cardinals are actively looking in the trade market for their own roster solutions, they could likely end up dealing across Missouri. Whether they can agree on a mutually beneficial deal remains to be seen, but the framework is certainly there.