Dodgers need to capitalize on Chaim Bloom's Cardinals fire sale right now

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been eyeing St. Louis Cardinals superutility man Brendan Donovan for some time now. However, as weeks have turned into months, the Dodgers' monitoring of his situation hasn't seemed to progress much.

That's because, throughout the winter, the Cardinals have been operating out of a position of strength with Donovan. The 2022 Gold Glover has two years of team control remaining and will make just $5.8 million in 2026. That sets him apart from high-priced veterans Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras, whom the Cardinals dumped on the Boston Red Sox.

St. Louis could wait for a haul, knowing that they could hold out for a better offer for the 29-year-old at the trade deadline or next offseason. However, when they traded Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks, they sent a message that they're all-in on their rebuild.

Donovan could help a lot of teams, with the second base market looking light and a bunch of clubs needing help at the keystone. The Ketel Marte drama in Arizona appears to be over, and with him off the market, Donovan is the best option. That means the Cardinals should trade Donovan now or risk the market moving on to other solutions.

This is why the Dodgers should pounce. While there are a lot of suitors, St. Louis has boxed itself in and now needs to make a move.

The time is now for the Dodgers to swing a deal for Brendan Donovan amid the Cardinals' sell-off

The case for Donovan is clear. He checks a lot of boxes for LA, who could use his help at either second base or left field. As a lefty bat, he could also further balance the lineup, and his play style, a high-contact, low strikeout approach, adds a dimension that the Dodgers don't currently have.

Los Angeles loves versatility. From Tommy Edman to Hyeseong Kim to stars like Mookie Betts, the Dodgers have not just looked for versatility from players at the end of the bench, but instead have utilized it as a mechanism to play matchups and get the best nine hitters in the lineup at all times.

The Dodgers' impressive collection of prospects ensures they can beat any offer if they wanted to, and even with the losses the system would suffer in trade, they'd still have a top-ranked pipeline.

Beyond that, acquiring Donovan doesn't preclude Los Angeles from making a larger splash in free agency. His salary is a drop in the bucket, and Kyle Tucker's signing with the Dodgers doesn't preclude a Donovan trade thanks to his versatility.

The Dodgers would be wise to engage the Cardinals now and get ahead of the game while Chaim Bloom is in a trade-happy mood. The fit with Donovan is just too perfect to pass up.