Switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje sent to Cardinals in three-team Donovan trade

St. Louis acquired one of baseball’s most unusual pitching prospects when Jurrangelo Cijntje, the switch-pitcher Seattle selected 15th overall in the 2024 draft, was sent to the Cardinals as part of a three-team deal centered on Brendan Donovan, Sam Sklar of the Clarion-Ledger reported. The transaction immediately alters the prospect calculus for both clubs and injects a high-ceiling, high-variance arm into the Cardinals’ pipeline.

Cijntje is a 22-year-old Netherlands native from The Hague who bats and throws from both sides. Baseball America reported that he touched 98 mph with both arms this season, a velocity profile that helps explain why he is such a sought-after developmental project. Seattle fast-tracked him, promoting him to Double-A Arkansas after 74.2 innings at Low-A Everett; he has 108 1/3 innings of pro ball on his ledger. MLB Pipeline listed him as the No. 91 prospect in baseball and Seattle’s No. 7 prospect.

The Mariners had publicly wrestled with how to handle Cijntje’s workload and transition to the upper minors and big-league camp. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com wrote that Seattle designated Cijntje as a right-hander on its list of 34 non-roster invitees to spring training and that he would report to big-league camp on Feb. 11 focusing exclusively on pitching right-handed. Mariners general manager Justin Hollander acknowledged the novelty of the player and the experimental approach when he said, "I don't know that we learned a ton, because it's so unique," and added, "And we were just trying to find the right thing for him." Hollander also noted, "I’ve always thought that once you're at Double-A, you're ... on the depth chart," and observed that "So it's certainly realistic that at some point this year, Jurrangelo is up here pitching for us."

Cijntje himself revealed he turned down a Team Netherlands World Baseball Classic invite to attend big-league camp, telling fans at Mariners FanFest, "Going into this year, I was down to go, and then I got the invite... I'll think about it with my family and my agent and all that. And I think it was best for me to stick and go to a big league camp. Because that's something that probably will help me to make it especially. You want to play around these guys, too."

Trade chatter had already placed Cijntje in the market. Seattle beat reporter Ryan Divish, via Sports Yahoo, reported that the Mariners were "willing to move top pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje in a package for Cardinals INF Brendan Donovan." FanSided also noted St. Louis asked about Cijntje alongside outfield prospect Lazaro Montes in early trade talks; Montes carries a 14.2 percent walk rate in his profile and occupies a clearer organizational niche as a near-term corner-outfield option, according to that analysis.

For the Cardinals, acquiring a 22-year-old who can legitimately throw high-90s from both arms is a bet on upside and uniqueness. For the Mariners, the move underscores how a rare developmental project can become high-value trade chips in a market hungry for controllable MLB-ready pieces. Fans should watch St. Louis’ development plan closely: will the Cardinals preserve Cijntje’s ambidexterity or prioritize one arm as Seattle began to do? Either path carries roster and bullpen implications, and it will shape whether Cijntje becomes a novelty or a frontline weapon in the big leagues.