Report: Cardinals emerging as suitor for Donaldson
The St. Louis Cardinals have reportedly emerged as a suitor for third baseman Josh Donaldson while the Toronto Blue Jays become increasingly likely to deal him, sources told Jon Morosi of MLB.com.
Donaldson reportedly went unclaimed, clearing waivers, and is now eligible to be traded to all 29 teams, sources told Jon Heyman of Fancred.
The Cardinals were apparently interested in Donaldson over the winter as well, but the Blue Jays opted not to deal away the former MVP. However, as Toronto fell out of the playoff race, the Blue Jays pivoted to selling off assets, including J.A. Happ, Steve Pearce, and Seunghwan Oh.
The Cardinals occupy the first NL wild-card spot entering play Friday, and adding Donaldson's bat could help their postseason chances, particularly with Jedd Gyorko sidelined with a strained groin. Kolten Wong and Marcell Ozuna are also on the 10-day disabled list.
Donaldson, 32, was reportedly placed on revocable waivers ahead of the Sept. 1 deadline for playoff-eligible players to be added to the roster. The third baseman's been hampered by calf and shoulder injuries and last played a major-league game in late May. Held to 36 games, the now-disgruntled Donaldson's authored a .234/.333/.423 slash line with five home runs and two stolen bases.
Donaldson will be eligible for free agency this winter for the first time in his career. A midseason trade would preclude him from being able to receive a qualifying offer, so he wouldn't be tied to draft-pick compensation.
Morosi notes that the Cleveland Indians have been linked to Donaldson as well, but a source said that chances of a deal with Cleveland are "slim."