World Series 2024: Tommy Edman what Dodgers wanted and more
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers had spent three years coveting Tommy Edman, which, when you think about it, makes a lot of sense. Perhaps no franchise places a greater emphasis on versatility, and perhaps no player encapsulates it better. Edman plays superior defense at two premium positions, hits from both sides of the plate, possesses the ability to move runners over and drive them in. When the Dodgers finally landed Edman over the summer, they were hazy on a role but envisioned someone who would help them in a multitude of ways.
What they didn’t foresee was what ultimately transpired — that Edman would accumulate 11 RBIs in a single postseason round, serve as the cleanup hitter in a pennant-clinching game and become MVP of the National League Championship Series.
“It’s a crazy trajectory,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Sunday’s 10-5 victory over the New York Mets in Game 6. “I can’t say enough about the front office being able to acquire him at the deadline. What he can do for us on the field, in the clubhouse — it’s just amazing.”
Edman’s season didn’t begin until Aug. 19, 21 days after the Dodgers acquired him in a three-team trade with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox that also landed them hard-throwing reliever Michael Kopech.
His right wrist was slow to heal from offseason surgery, pushing his return back by a couple of months. He was finally ready to venture out on a rehab assignment by late June, but then he sprained an ankle during a workout. When the Dodgers engaged St. Louis on Edman in late July, they evaluated his 2024 season on the basis of one medical report and the small handful of scouts who descended upon Springfield, Massachusetts, to watch him play in four rehab games.
