The cons of a Tommy Edman extension for the St. Louis Cardinals
Let’s start with the obvious. The Cardinals have Edman under team control until the 2026 season, meaning they can simply pay for the arbitration figures and have three more years of him in the infield. It’s simple and, provided there are no disagreements over salary, it’s clean and clockwork for a franchise that isn’t known for going over the top with its spending.
The Cardinals also believe they have one of their pieces of the future in the minors in Masyn Winn, who was an organizational All-Star for St. Louis last season and flashed his speed and batting prowess in Double-A and the Arizona Fall League. If Winn is the future at shortstop, the St. Louis middle infield could get crowded very quickly if one of the positions is locked in with a long-term deal. Keeping Edman in arbitration gives St. Louis the flexibility to move someone should things get too crowded.
There is also the argument that Edman may not produce at the level that he did this season. Was that 6.4 bWAR an outlier or maybe a career-high? Making a bet that Edman can produce that (or something close to it) moving forward is indeed a gamble, as is the hope that Edman will stay healthy.
So what would you do if you were St. Louis? Would you extend Edman or keep things as the status quo? Let us know in the comment section below.