Report: Dodgers' secret new signing could become surprise hero in October

If there is one thing the Los Angeles Dodgers accomplished in the 2024 regular season, it was meeting the transfer deadline.

The Dodgers needed a workhorse in their starting lineup and got him in Jack Flaherty. Also, every team needs bullpen reinforcements late in the summer and the Dodgers brought in Michael Kopech, who has developed into a closer/setup man.

The most exciting addition to the Dodgers' roster, however, was former St. Louis Cardinals Gold Glover Tommy Edman, who came in the same deal as Kopech after the Cardinals signed former Chicago White Sox starter Erick Fedde.

Edman had yet to play a game in 2024 when he was traded and was coming off a disappointing 2023 season. But since he's a switch-hitter who can play several top-tier defensive positions, it was easy to see why the Dodgers would value his skills.

It was that versatility that led Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman to name Edman as his most likely shooting star of the playoffs in a Tuesday article for MLB.com.

“So far, every risk associated with signing Edman has proven to be a worthwhile gamble. The 29-year-old has posted an OPS of .780 as the Dodgers' primary center fielder since being activated in mid-August,” Shusterman said.

“It's a postseason story as old as time that someone like Edman emerges as a key player who can contribute to the team's success. And with Edman able to fill so many roles, there's a good chance he can raise his profile significantly in the next month.”

Those who followed Edman in St. Louis wouldn't have been surprised if he had pulled it all together at the right time. He consistently performed brilliantly throughout his time as a Cardinal, with his best season coming in 2022 when he averaged 6.2 wins above replacement.

In his postseason career, however, Edman has hit just 13-of-58 (.224) with no home runs, four extra-base hits and three RBIs. He has appeared in four postseasons and made it to the National League Championship Series just once (2019, when the Washington Nationals defeated the Cardinals).

This season, Edman is looking to make amends for his performance. And that also applies to the Dodgers, who were eliminated embarrassingly early in each of the last two years.

Maybe that's why Edman and Los Angeles are a match made in heaven.

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