The Call Up | An MLB Prospect Podcast · Just Baseball Media

475 | Breaking Down the Brendan Donovan and Jordan Hicks Trades

·42 min·3 clips

Why are MLB teams now trading for bulk prospects instead of top-tier talent?

This episode of The Call Up breaks down two recent MLB trades involving Brendan Donovan and Jordan Hicks. Hosts Aram Leighton and Jack McMullen analyze the deals from a prospect evaluation and team-building perspective. They focus on the strategic implications for the St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox. The main trade sends Brendan Donovan from the Cardinals to the Mariners, with Tampa Bay involved to facilitate the deal. The Cardinals receive pitcher Gerardo Sangia, outfielder Ty Peete, outfielder Colton Ledbetter, and two Competitive Balance B draft picks. The hosts note the Cardinals' strategy appears to be acquiring volume and depth of prospects rather than a few elite headliners. They compare this to other recent deals like the Shane Báez and Tyler Rogers trades. The second trade sends reliever Jordan Hicks and $8 million from the Red Sox to the White Sox for pitcher Gage Zaal, with pitcher David Sandlin and two players to be named later also moving. An interesting insight is that Sangia's 2024 statistics are skewed by his unsuccessful attempts to pitch left-handed; his right-handed-only performance showed a 20% K-BB rate. The hosts argue the Cardinals' acquisition of two draft picks significantly boosts their bonus pool, giving executive Chaim Bloom more flexibility. They suggest the Rays value Ben Williamson for his defensive versatility, seeing him as potential insurance for Taylor Walls or Gavin Lux. The analysis of the Hicks trade frames it as Boston paying to shed a contract, with Sandlin representing a change-of-scenery arm for Chicago. The tone is analytical and conversational, blending scouting reports with front-office strategy talk. The style is educational, geared toward listeners who enjoy evaluating prospects and understanding transactional logic. This episode is ideal for fans who closely follow MLB offseason moves, prospect development, and team-building strategies. Listeners who prefer game analysis or in-season storytelling might find it less engaging.

As heard by us

Two offseason trades, one Cardinals reset, and the roster math behind both deals.

This episode tracks two offseason trades and uses them to weigh big league fit against prospect cost and roster fallout. Aram Leighton and Jack McMullen open with the Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin move, then move into the Brandon Donovan deal, where salary dumping, prospect…

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You want the prospect math behind the Donovan and Hicks moves.

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