As the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season nears its finish for St. Louis, the Brendan Donovan trade is looking better and better for the Cardinals.
Donovan was a valuable player in St. Louis - an All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner who became a fan favorite - but the Cardinals moved him to Seattle to help rebuild a farm system that wasn’t close to contention.
So far, that decision has paid off in a big way.
The three-team deal sent starter Jurrangelo Cijntje, outfielder Tai Peete, outfielder Colton Ledbetter and two draft picks back to St. Louis.
Cijntje has been heating up lately, and Ledbetter has put together a strong Triple-A season. But the biggest reason this trade keeps tilting toward the Cardinals is Peete, who has been on a serious tear.
Since Aug. 16, Peete has hit .394/.434/.634 with a 1.068 OPS, along with four home runs, 16 RBIs, five walks, four stolen bases, five doubles and 21 runs scored for Double-A Springfield. Then on Sunday, he delivered what might be the best game of his pro career so far in Game 1 of the Texas League Championship Series.
Peete went 5-for-5 with a home run, four RBIs, a double, a stolen base and two runs scored. The 21-year-old also set a new career high with five hits.
What a performance by Tai Peete last night! 👏The 21-year-old outfielder had a career-high five hits (5-for-5) with 4 RBI, including a booming 440 ft.
3-R HR to finish a triple shy of the cycle in Game 1 of the Texas League Championship Series. #STLCards pic.twitter.com/4eWhWKHpnW
Peete’s rise is even more notable because of how far he’s come this season. Before 2026, he had never played above High-A.
Last year with High-A Everett in the Mariners’ system, he appeared in 125 games and hit .217/.288/.404 with 19 homers, 63 RBIs and 25 stolen bases. The Cardinals have gotten a much different version of him.
In 42 games with High-A Peoria, Peete hit .300/.370/.611 with a .981 OPS, 10 homers, 39 RBIs, 14 doubles and 11 stolen bases, which earned him the bump to Double-A. He hasn’t slowed down since the promotion. In 21 games with Springfield, Peete is batting .319/.360/.489 with three homers, 16 RBIs, five doubles and one triple, showing he has handled the Double-A jump just fine.
There’s still reason for St. Louis to like the rest of the return, too.
Cijntje could be in the Cardinals’ rotation as soon as next season, and Ledbetter is also one step from the majors. But Peete’s recent surge is what makes this deal look like a major steal.
For Seattle, Donovan has been limited to just 39 games this season because of injuries. It’s been a rough year for him, but from the Cardinals’ side, the trade keeps looking like the right call.
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