Dodgers Hold “Early” Extension Talks With Tommy Edman
The Dodgers have had “preliminary conversations” with the prospect Tommy Edman about a potential extension, according to a report from MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. It’s unclear how far those initial talks have progressed, but there’s no indication that a deal between the two sides is very close at this point.
Edman, 29, arrived in LA as part of a three-team trade between the Dodgers, Cardinals, and White Sox that brought Michael Kopech in LA and sent Erick Fedde in St. Louis just before the trade deadline this summer. At the time, Edman had yet to play in the majors at all in 2024 due to complications from offseason wrist surgery. The switch hitter finally made his Dodgers debut on August 19 and made a strong first impression. With the Dodgers, the versatile outfielder split time between center field and shortstop while hitting a respectable .237/.294/.417 (98 wRC+) with six homers and six steals in 153 trips to the plate during the regular season.
His performance reached a new gear during the postseason, however, as he once again split time between shortstop and center field as the Dodgers mixed and matched the middle. Gavin Lux, Miguel Rojasagain Enrique Hernandez up in the middle. Amid those regular changes, Edman was able to maintain a high level of offensive production as he hit .328/.354/.508 with two homers, five steals, and five doubles in 16 playoff games. That strong performance was key to the club’s World Series championship and earned him MVP honors for his performance in the NLCS against the Mets. Looking ahead to 2025, Edman looks likely to be penciled into the middle of the Opening Day lineup although his impressive versatility should allow him to slot in at second or third base, shortstop, or in the corner if the Dodgers need it.
The way Edman played in the regular season with LA was consistent with what he has done throughout his career with the Cardinals. While his rookie season saw him hit .304/.350/.500 (124 wRC+) in 349 trips to the plate as a part-timer, he has settled in as a slightly below-average value-producing bat. with defense, versatility, and baserunning once he becomes a regular on the St. Louis roster. From 2020 to 2023, Edman appeared in 504 of the club’s 546 regular season games and hit .258/.314/.392 (92 wRC+) with 42 home runs and 92 steals. He also connected on 104 doubles (and 12 triples) in that span while playing quality defense in all areas of the diamond except first base and behind the plate.
Overall, Edman’s profile doesn’t quite match Hernandez’s Chris Taylorwho spent eight and nine years respectively in Dodger blue thanks to their valuable partnership. With Edman having one year left in free agency, the Dodgers may have to pay something close to free agent prices to keep the switch-hitter beyond next season barring a hometown discount from the southern California native. Taylor received a four-year, $60MM contract in free agency from the Dodgers after hitting the market following a 30-year season that earned him All-Star honors, though that deal hasn’t worked out well for LA so far. and the club may not be comfortable committing to Edman at that same level. With Edman already set to make $9.5MM in his final year before free agency next year, perhaps a three-year AAV deal like the one the Dodgers gave Taylor would make sense for both parties.
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