The Los Angeles Dodgers swung an under-the-radar trade in July that brought a veteran player to the team who ended up playing a crucial role in the 2024 World Series run.
Over the summer, the Dodgers traded for Tommy Edman, who prior to the move had spent five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Edman was known as a great defender at second base, notching a Gold Glove, though his hitting was a weak point for the majority of his career until he came to the Dodgers.
Months later, Edman returned to St. Louis for the first time since the trade, a city that embraced him, as the Dodgers face off with the Cardinals in a three-game series.
Now, on the other side of the locker room, the former Cardinal utility man is left reminiscing about his time with his old team.
“I’ve got a lot of great memories here,” Edman told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “From getting called up here to all the postseason runs we had. Great people I met along the way.
“It was kind of abrupt last year, getting traded at the deadline seemingly out of nowhere. It was just a day there, packing up and heading out. I hadn’t been back to St. Louis since then. It’s been almost a year at this point now.”
Before his first at-bat in Busch Stadium as a Dodger, Edman was given a touching ovation by the St. Louis fans, an ode to one of the team’s fan favorites over the years.
“It was really cool,” Edman told reporters after Friday’s game. “Just to get recognized after playing for this team for a number of years, it was a really special moment for me, for sure. I’m very grateful for everybody who showed up today.”
During the Dodgers’ last playoff run, Edman was incredibly valuable, earning the MVP of the National League Championship Series and subsequently a championship and contract extension to remain with the Dodgers.
His defense remains good as ever, though now he is developing consistent power and hard hitting, making him a key piece of the roster.
Though the memories will likely continue coming back to Edman throughout the series, he found his footing with Los Angeles.
“I guess it’s already been almost a year now that I’ve been with the Dodgers,” he said.
“It’s definitely gone by very quickly, but at the same time, I feel like I’ve gotten very close with everybody in the Dodgers’ organization.”
