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It took less than three months for Tommy Edman to endear himself to Dodgers fans.
He will now play in front of them for the next half-decade.
The Dodgers agreed to a five-year, $74 million contract extension with Edman on Friday, the team announced, locking in their key trade deadline acquisition and the most valuable player in the NFL Championship Series National League in the second major move of their offseason.
Edman, 29, is a super utilityman the Dodgers had coveted for some time before this season, lured from far and wide by his defensive versatility and hitting abilities as a Gold Glove winner on the St. Louis Cardinals.
As they approached this year’s trade deadline with needs at both shortstop and center field, the Dodgers acquired Edman, a product of La Jolla Country Day School and the Stanford University, in a deal that sent Miguel Vargas and two prospects to the Chicago White Sox.
Although Edman did not make his season debut until August 19 – he had missed the first four months with wrist and ankle injuries – he hit .237 with a league average of .711 OPS in 37 regular season games, collecting six home games. runs and 20 RBIs.
Learn more: Dodgers agree to sign two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell
Then, in the postseason, Edman became a vital part of the Dodgers’ offense, batting .328 with 13 RBIs in 16 postseason games. He earned NLCS MVP honors after hitting .407 with 11 RBIs in the six-game series against the New York Mets.
Edman’s new deal, which runs through 2029 and reportedly includes deferred money and a $13 million club option for 2030, will not only ensure he helps defend the team’s title next year (which would have been his last under club control), but that he will remain a factor in their lineup for years beyond.
Last season, Edman split his time between shortstop (where the Dodgers also faced Miguel Rojas) and center field (where the club also rotated Andy Pages, Kiké Hernández and Kevin Kiermaier), but took taking over as everyday shortstop in the postseason after Rojas was injured. in the Division NL series.
Edman’s versatility should prove crucial again next year. After the Dodgers picked up Rojas’ club option and announced that Betts would likely return to the field next season, the club currently has an abundance of outfield options but lacks infield depth. While there’s plenty of time left in free agency for that to change — especially if the Dodgers push to re-sign Teoscar Hernández — Edman could be asked to play a multi-position role again.
Edman’s extension was canceled just days after the Dodgers’ biggest move of the offseason so far, their $182 million signing of two-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Blake Snell on Tuesday. The move brought the Dodgers’ estimated payroll for next season to about $305 million, according to Cot’s Baseball Contract, which would have exceeded MLB’s highest tax penalty threshold. Still, that hasn’t stopped the big-spending Dodgers from continuing to move aggressively.
One month before their World Series championship, they are already maneuvering to try to win again.
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This story was originally published in the Los Angeles Times.
