The St. Louis Cardinals and UTIL player, Tommy Edman, agreed to a two-year, $16.5 million extension, thus avoiding arbitration per the club.
Edman and the Cardinals were set to attended an arbitration hearing, as were 21 other Major Leaguers, but the two sides agreed to the new extension before the meeting was held. Edman is now slated to become a free agent after this two-year deal, so the Cardinals bought out his final two years of arb.
Edman is set to turn 29 in May and has become quite the glove in almost any position the Cardinals have slotted him in. Edman has spent five years in the big leagues, all with St. Louis, and has turned in a nice career thus far, slashing .265/.319/.408 while blasting 53 home runs.
Edman has not been the most consistent and put together his career worst season in 2023, slashing .248/.307/.399. However, the Gold Glover has a lot of upside potential.
Edman is coming off wrist surgery and is still rehabbing. He has yet to be cleared by doctors, but was said to be "very confident" he'll be ready to start the season.
With Edman being a super UTIL player, he'll likely find himself in a slew of positions during the season, making him more valuable. There's no question about the talent Edman possesses, it's whether or not he'll put it together for a full 162.