Brendan Donovan Shows Off Positional Versatility For Cardinals
The scouting report on 25-year-old Brendan Donovan provided by the major league coaching staff before spring training included the usual readouts and rundowns of the positions he plays and how he hits.
It also had one prediction.
“We were told we were going to love this guy,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said.
And they did.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Donovan put himself on the brink of MLB as one of the final cuts of camp and likely the first to be called up if the Cardinals need an infielder or lefthanded hitter off the bench. Before being optioned to Triple-A Memphis, Donovan played all over the field while leading the Cardinals with 32 spring at-bats.
Perpetually looking for a lefthanded bat to play multiple positions, the Cardinals added Donovan to the 40-man roster in November. The 2018 seventh-rounder from South Alabama had that potential coming off a .304/.399/.455 season at three levels in 2021.
In his second full pro season, Donovan sped to Triple-A and compiled an .885 OPS in 33 games.
Twice already in his career Donovan has been nudged from a position. Assigned to the same level as top prospect Nolan Gorman early in his career, Donovan moved from third base to second to accommodate the slugger.
When the Cardinals acquired third baseman Nolan Arenado, the trickle-down effect moved Gorman to second and Donovan into a utility role. One of the first calls he and his manager made was to Jose Oquendo.
The Cardinals’ roving coach and infield guru suggested a way to manage the workload of multiple positions—use batting practice to get fly balls in the outfield, and on days when he’s in the lineup, take grounders at that position. On off days, work at all of them.
Donovan had few off days during the spring, but he did add more positions. Paul Goldschmidt gave him a first baseman’s mitt at the beginning of camp, and by the end Donovan made a start in a big league game at first.
Donovan matched that defensive versatility with a contact-first approach the Cardinals want off the bench.
REDBIRD CHIRPS
— Described by one executive as a “sensation” of camp, righthander Gordon Graceffo turned heads during spring training by unleashing a fastball that had jumped to 100 mph. A fifth-round pick in 2021, Graceffo spent the offseason building strength and tapping into better flexibility to reach a higher velocity. Intrigued, the Cardinals are having him start at Low-A Palm Beach.
— One of the catchers the Cardinals are counting on to aid young pitchers at Triple-A Memphis is 28-year-old Clint Coulter. Taken 27th overall by the Brewers in 2012, Coulter spent some time as an outfielder before cycling through independent ball and getting a chance back at catcher, his original position, with the Cardinals.
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