It's no surprise Yankees backed off Brendan Donovan trade after seeing Mariners' package

The New York Yankees connection to Brendan Donovan had been alive for a while. New York was one of the teams connected to the former St. Louis Cardinal, dating back to last year's trade deadline. As the offseason kicked off, those rumors resurfaced.

That dream is dead. Donovan is heading to the Seattle Mariners, with a little help from the Tampa Bay Rays, who can't help sticking their nose in and getting involved in three-team trades.

Now with the return made public, it's become clear that the Yankees were never going to pay the price it took to pry the versatile utility man away from the Cardinals. And it's a good thing, too.

The Yankees were never going to match the Mariners' offer for Brendan Donovan because they didn't need him

Going back to St. Louis is a trio of prospects, as well as two Comp B picks. Translating the prospect package to what an equivalent one from the Yankees would have been is the best way to see the true cost.

The headliner is Jurrangelo Cijntje, a former switch-pitcher who now throws exclusively right-handed (as of, um, a couple of days ago). Cijntje is MLB Pipeline's No. 91 prospect, so his closest comp in the Yankees' system would be Dax Kilby (No. 94). In addition, outfielder Tai Peete was the Mariners No. 11 prospect, whose power-speed combination is reminiscent of Spencer Jones. Finally, you have outfielder Colton Ledbetter coming over from the Rays, who ranked as their No. 24 prospect. His value would be something relative to Yankees No. 22 prospect RHP Eric Reyzelman. If you want an outfield equivalent, maybe the discarded Brendan Jones?

While it might seem like a stretch to include Kilby and Spencer Jones, it's important to understand that the Mariners' farm system ranks well above the Yankees, making the value of their prospects that much higher.

Donovan is a good player. He has a Gold Glove on his resume, hits for contact, and can play multiple positions, including second base and left field, among others. That has a lot of value. Still, that's a high price to pay.

As the offseason has unfolded, his potential value to the Yankees has diminished. His offensive profile is similar to that of Cody Bellinger, albeit with fewer homers. Bringing Bellinger back eliminated the potential of Donovan being a left field fallback option.

The "Donovan to New York" whispers grew the loudest at the same time the silly Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade speculation began gaining steam. At this point, trying to execute the gymnastics that would involved trading Jazz to accommodate Donovan would've ended in New York losing value at the end of the day.

As a bench piece, the Yankees already have a better fit in Amed Rosario. Sure, Donovan is the better overall player, but he's another left-handed bat that a team full of lefties doesn't need. Rosario plays multiple infield positions and can handle the corner outfield spots, as well. He also has some of the traits that make Donovan attractive.

Rosario put up a .745 OPS last season, while Donovan came in at .775. Is that 30-point difference worth twice Rosario's $2.5 million salary, plus a trio of top prospects and two draft picks?

Donovan is a good player, and with two years of team control and an affordable salary, that haul is the going rate. That's all well and good, but the Yankees just didn't have a dire need for him; paying that price would have been ludicrous. Now, they can go find something they really need, like a right-handed hitting outfielder.