Was Edman worth $15M/yr X 5yrs?

[ClassicO]

LA signed him to a 5-year, $74M contract
Here are his career slashes:

Screenshot 2025-07-10 at 5.53.28 AM.png (33.43 KiB) Viewed 939 times

His last three years he's .243/.300/.406/.706
He had 8 HRs as of April 22 and two since, his last on June 1.
He's essentially stopped stealing bases due to a variety of injuries - six last year and three this year.
Also, his defense in CF has not been very good: a range factor of 2.25 vs. league avg. of 2.68 and a 1 DRS.
His defense at 2b has gone from a +12 DRS in 2022 to -1, 0, and 0 the past 3 years. (He's a +2 at SS.)
He's versatile, but would anyone want him over Donovan/JJ or VSII - at that price?

[Wattage]

LA signed him to a 5-year, $74M contract
Here are his career slashes:


Screenshot 2025-07-10 at 5.53.28 AM.png


His last three years he's .243/.300/.406/.706
He had 8 HRs as of April 22 and two since, his last on June 1.
He's essentially stopped stealing bases due to a variety of injuries - six last year and three this year.
Also, his defense in CF has not been very good: a range factor of 2.25 vs. league avg. of 2.68 and a 1 DRS.
His defense at 2b has gone from a +12 DRS in 2022 to -1, 0, and 0 the past 3 years. (He's a +2 at SS.)
He's versatile, but would anyone want him over Donovan/JJ or VSII - at that price?

You have to consider is la thats signing him and la has an i infinitely bigger market and generates infinitely more revenue than most teams in baseball, and since theres no salary cap, they can do these contracts to lock the guy they want even if its a horrible overpay for other teams to try.

[12xu]

No, (and he is only getting about $12MM a year), but the Cardinals should have been able to obtain more than Erick Fedde by trading him.

Doesn't it make you feel bitter how Edman(NLCS MVP 2024), Garcia(ALCS MVP 2023), Alcantara(Cy Young award), and Arozarena(ALCS MVP 2020) all took off after they were traded?

[nighthawk]

He's a poor man's Junior Gilliam. Earned an NLCS MVP and performed well in LA's 4-1 World Series championship over the Yanks. That's the going rate for a championship team. Now, if the White Sox gave him that deal, it would be ludicrous.

[scoutyjones2]

LA signed him to a 5-year, $74M contract
Here are his career slashes:


Screenshot 2025-07-10 at 5.53.28 AM.png


His last three years he's .243/.300/.406/.706
He had 8 HRs as of April 22 and two since, his last on June 1.
He's essentially stopped stealing bases due to a variety of injuries - six last year and three this year.
Also, his defense in CF has not been very good: a range factor of 2.25 vs. league avg. of 2.68 and a 1 DRS.
His defense at 2b has gone from a +12 DRS in 2022 to -1, 0, and 0 the past 3 years. (He's a +2 at SS.)
He's versatile, but would anyone want him over Donovan/JJ or VSII - at that price?

You have to consider is la thats signing him and la has an i infinitely bigger market and generates infinitely more revenue than most teams in baseball, and since theres no salary cap, they can do these contracts to lock the guy they want even if its a horrible overpay for other teams to try.

No. The context is he worth it? Nope, he isn't.

[scoutyjones2]

No, (and he is only getting about $12MM a year), but the Cardinals should have been able to obtain more than Erick Fedde by trading him.

Doesn't it make you feel bitter how Edman(NLCS MVP 2024), Garcia(ALCS MVP 2023), Alcantara(Cy Young award), and Arozarena(ALCS MVP 2020) all took off after they were traded?

LoL. What should they have gotten for a player who took most of the season to recover from a wrist injury that was addressed after the prior season ended

[AnExParrot]

No, (and he is only getting about $12MM a year), but the Cardinals should have been able to obtain more than Erick Fedde by trading him.

Doesn't it make you feel bitter how Edman(NLCS MVP 2024), Garcia(ALCS MVP 2023), Alcantara(Cy Young award), and Arozarena(ALCS MVP 2020) all took off after they were traded?

LoL. What should they have gotten for a player who took most of the season to recover from a wrist injury that was addressed after the prior season ended

Seriously, Edman didn't play a single game for the Cardinals that season.

[rightthinker4]

IMO no. I know it’s LA, but why throw away money. Give it to Ohtani.

[moose-and-squirrel]

No, (and he is only getting about $12MM a year), but the Cardinals should have been able to obtain more than Erick Fedde by trading him.

Doesn't it make you feel bitter how Edman(NLCS MVP 2024), Garcia(ALCS MVP 2023), Alcantara(Cy Young award), and Arozarena(ALCS MVP 2020) all took off after they were traded?

Alcantara has been hurt most of his career and has one winning season.. Garcia hasn't done squat since getting popped for PED's

[12xu]

No, (and he is only getting about $12MM a year), but the Cardinals should have been able to obtain more than Erick Fedde by trading him.

Doesn't it make you feel bitter how Edman(NLCS MVP 2024), Garcia(ALCS MVP 2023), Alcantara(Cy Young award), and Arozarena(ALCS MVP 2020) all took off after they were traded?

Alcantara has been hurt most of his career and has one winning season.. Garcia hasn't done squat since getting popped for PED's

Regardless of the short term huge success of those ex-Cardinals, I still think about what might have been.
Of course Adolis Garcia has not been suspended for PED use, even though he is widely suspected of having used them.

[12xu]

No, (and he is only getting about $12MM a year), but the Cardinals should have been able to obtain more than Erick Fedde by trading him.

Doesn't it make you feel bitter how Edman(NLCS MVP 2024), Garcia(ALCS MVP 2023), Alcantara(Cy Young award), and Arozarena(ALCS MVP 2020) all took off after they were traded?

LoL. What should they have gotten for a player who took most of the season to recover from a wrist injury that was addressed after the prior season ended

Seriously, Edman didn't play a single game for the Cardinals that season.

I am well aware of these facts. Still, the Cardinals and White Sox both got fleeced by the Dodgers, who of course could afford to wait for their reward in these transactions.

[scoutyjones2]

CT would be livid if the Cards gave TGTE that contract...which pays him till he's 35, at $12+ million a year, a long with deferred money till 2035-44

Look at the [defecating] of the pants over the PDJ contract!

He's JAG. below average hitter

[Bomber1]

LA signed him to a 5-year, $74M contract
Here are his career slashes:


Screenshot 2025-07-10 at 5.53.28 AM.png


His last three years he's .243/.300/.406/.706
He had 8 HRs as of April 22 and two since, his last on June 1.
He's essentially stopped stealing bases due to a variety of injuries - six last year and three this year.
Also, his defense in CF has not been very good: a range factor of 2.25 vs. league avg. of 2.68 and a 1 DRS.
His defense at 2b has gone from a +12 DRS in 2022 to -1, 0, and 0 the past 3 years. (He's a +2 at SS.)
He's versatile, but would anyone want him over Donovan/JJ or VSII - at that price?

Many people seem to think that had Edman stayed in St. Louis he somehow would have ended up with the same contract the Dodgers gave him.

Nobody was more surprised than Edman at the Dodgers’ offer so of course he jumped at it.

If the Cardinals had kept Edman they may have been able to extend him for 5 and $45 million or something similar.

So no, nobody would want him over Donovan or Scott at $ 15 million per, but that’s not really a fair situation.

Also, the Dodgers certainly don’t need to scratch for runs; maybe they’ve told him to only run when he knows he can make it.

[ClassicO]

No, (and he is only getting about $12MM a year), but the Cardinals should have been able to obtain more than Erick Fedde by trading him.

Doesn't it make you feel bitter how Edman(NLCS MVP 2024), Garcia(ALCS MVP 2023), Alcantara(Cy Young award), and Arozarena(ALCS MVP 2020) all took off after they were traded?

The 5-year, $74M contract has an AAV of $13.04M for years 2025-2029, but he received a $17M signing bonus, paid 12/10/24. Can't forget that.

https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/c ... s-dodgers/

[Ozziesfan41]

He is worth it to the dodgers because they can afford to over pay players like edman that much money. He would not be worth it to the cardinals though

[AnExParrot]

He is worth it to the dodgers because they can afford to over pay players like edman that much money. He would not be worth it to the cardinals though

Sure, the Dodgers can afford it - still doesn't mean the guy is worth it.