MIAMI — For years, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and basic supervisor Brandon Gomes tried to discover a strategy to purchase Tommy Edman from the Cardinals.
With St. Louis open to strikes final offseason, Los Angeles tried once more. But it surely wasn’t till the Commerce Deadline, as Edman rehabbed from offseason proper wrist surgical procedure, that the Dodgers and Playing cards lastly discovered a match in a three-team deal that despatched the utilityman to Los Angeles.
Since then, Edman has proven precisely why he was so coveted by the Dodgers, giving the membership a distinct look and one other spark in the midst of the lineup. That was on full show but once more on Wednesday evening as Edman jump-started a five-run fourth inning with a two-run homer in an 8-4 series-evening win over the Marlins at loanDepot park.
Los Angeles (90-62) can safe a playoff spot with a win over the Marlins in Thursday’s rubber recreation or losses by each the Mets (84-68) and Braves (82-70). The Dodgers, who maintain a 3 1/2-game lead within the NL West race, personal tiebreakers with each golf equipment.
“Actually stunned with the ability,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “I do know that he has an apt to place the barrel on the ball. Actually versatile defensively. However within the batter’s field, he simply actually takes good at-bats and the homers, the bottom homer tonight was big for us.
“He’s hit six or seven homers for us already in a brief time frame they usually all appear to be they have been huge. He’s gotten plenty of huge hits for us.”
In a lineup that possesses loads of energy threats, Edman has given the Dodgers precisely the look they’ve been missing over the previous couple of seasons. Edman has been a contact-first participant all through his profession and his switch-hitting capability has at all times been interesting to Los Angeles.
However because the commerce, Edman has tapped into his energy greater than he has over his profession.
Along with his two-run jack on Wednesday, Edman has six homers in simply 27 video games this season. Most of that injury has come from the precise aspect, together with the opposite-field shot towards left-hander Ryan Weathers.
“Truthfully, sort of a bit of stunned,” Edman stated with fun, when requested about his energy surge. “The [right] wrist [which required surgery in October 2023] didn’t really feel good for some time. I used to be sort of anticipating to be again for Spring Coaching and it stored lingering for a number of months, and eventually began to really feel good in June, July. Then, I sprained the ankle [on June 25].
“I feel, really, spraining the ankle allowed my wrist to have some extra time to get better and possibly that helped with being again to full power as soon as I began to play once more.”
Edman has been higher towards left-handers over the course of his profession and 4 of his homers have come towards southpaws. Earlier this month, nevertheless, Edman hit a homer from both sides of the plate in a single recreation for the primary time in his profession, and that got here someday after he belted two homers in a recreation batting righty off Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga.
“Initially, he’s a ten out of 10 individual. Actually good husband and father, and he’s a extremely good baseball participant,” stated Marlins supervisor Skip Schumaker, who was on the Cardinals’ workers when Edman performed there. “They obtained a superb one in that commerce. … We knew he’s a bit of bit higher from the precise aspect. He’s a superb hitter from the left aspect too, however from the precise aspect, he’s obtained some energy.
“Only a actually good pickup, profitable participant, man you need in your group. It was a extremely good pickup for them.”
Defensively, Edman has additionally given the Dodgers the flexibility they’ve been searching for. Edman has dealt with shortstop, particularly towards right-handed pitching, and has performed strong middle discipline towards left-handed pitchers. His capability to maneuver everywhere in the diamond and his switch-hitting capability has opened potentialities for Los Angeles to roll out its greatest lineups on a nightly foundation.
Because the Dodgers proceed to work by way of some pitching struggles, they’re going to want extra contributions from the remainder of their lineup. Edman has given them a big increase within the center or close to the underside of the order, one thing that has lacked in earlier seasons.
“He is a matchup nightmare,” Roberts stated. “Whether or not I need to have him in the midst of some right-handers or defending some left-handers, issues like that, like I stated, while you get the starter and likewise take a look at the bullpen, he creates some nightmares.”
