If there's one thing the Los Angeles Dodgers nailed during the 2024 regular season, it was the trade deadline.
The Dodgers needed a workhorse for their starting rotation, and they got one in Jack Flaherty. Plus, every team needs help in the bullpen towards the end of the summer, and the Dodgers brought in Michael Kopech, who has turned into a lockdown closer/setup man.
The most intriguing piece the Dodgers brought in, though, was former St. Louis Cardinals Gold Glover Tommy Edman, who arrived in the same deal as Kopech thanks to the Cardinals' acquisition of former Chicago White Sox starter Erick Fedde.
Edman had not yet played a game in 2024 when he was traded, and was coming off a disappointing 2023 season. But as a switch-hitter who could play multiple premium defensive positions, it was easy to see why the Dodgers would value his skillset.
It was this versatility that caused Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman to name Edman as his most likely breakout star of the playoffs in a Tuesday article for MLB.com
"So far, any risk associated with acquiring Edman has proven to be a worthy gamble. The 29-year-old has posted a .780 OPS as the Dodgers’ primary center fielder since being activated in mid-August," Shusterman said.
"Someone such as Edman emerging as a key role player who can help drive team success is a postseason tale as old as time. And with Edman’s ability to fill so many roles, I like his chances of raising his profile significantly next month."
Those who followed Edman in St. Louis would never be surprised to see him put it all together at the right time. He showed flashes of brilliance all through his time as a Cardinal, with his best season coming in 2022, when he racked up 6.2 wins above replacement.
In his postseason career, though, Edman is just 13-for-58 (.224) with no home runs, four extra-base hits, and three RBI. He's been in four postseasons and only advanced to one National League Championship Series (2019, when the Washington Nationals swept the Cardinals).
This season, Edman will be out for redemption. And so will the Dodgers, who have had embarrassing early exits in each of the past two years.
Perhaps that makes Edman and Los Angeles a match made in heaven.
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