When the Mariners finally acquired Brendan Donovan from the Cardinals in a blockbuster trade which also involved the Rays, there was a collective sigh of relief around the building at T-Mobile Park. The M's had been after the 29-year-old for the majority of the offseason, causing plenty of angst and frustration within the organization as the situation dragged on.
The reason the trade took so long to come together was due to the Cardinals insisting Donovan was a star worthy of a high return package. Back at the start of this year, SoDo Mojo's Tremayne Person was among those who said the M's should not give in to the absurd valuation of the 2022 Gold Glove winner, no matter how much they wanted him.