Tommy Edman's Dodgers contract: 'He's a guy who fits us really well'
Today at 09:15 PM
A full breakdown of the infielder/outfielder's five-year deal with LA, including a 2030 club option and deferred money paid out from 2035-44.
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers had a busy Thanksgiving week, including locking up up-the-middle stalwart Tommy Edman for four additional seasons. Edman's deal was finalized on November 29, the Dodgers' first Black Friday transaction since signing pitcher Jon Garland in 2010.
This time around, the Dodgers already did their shopping at the trade deadline, nabbing Edman from the Cardinals in a three-team deal on July 29. Edman, who already won a Gold Glove at second base in 2021 with St. Louis, played both shortstop and center field with Los Angeles, switching between positions as needed.
Edman was already signed for $9.5 million per his previous pact with the Cardinals, but this new five-year deal with the Dodgers supersedes that.
Edman gets a $17 million signing bonus in the deal payable on December 10, per Jeff Passan at ESPN, and a $13 million club option for 2030 with a $3 million buyout. The annual salaries are as follows, per Ronald Blum of Associated Press:
2025: $5 million
2026: $12.25 million ($6.25 million deferred)
2027: $12.25 million ($6.25 million deferred)
2028: $12.25 million ($6.25 million deferred)
2029: $12.25 million ($6.25 million deferred)
2030: $13 million club option ($3 million buyout)
The $25 million in total deferred salary will be paid in equal installments, $2.5 million every July 1 from 2035-44. Blum at AP has the elaborate breakdown of how each year's salary is spread out:
— for 2026, $2.5 million each in 2035 and 2036, and $1.25 million in 2037.
— for 2027, $1.25 million in 2037, and $2.5 million each in 2038 and 2039.
— for 2028, $2.5 million each in 2040 and 2041, and $1.25 million in 2042.
— for 2029, $1.25 million in 2042 and $2.5 million each in 2043 and 2044.
Because of the deferred money, the average annual value of $14.8 million is reduced to in net present value for competitive balance tax purposes. Jon Becker of FanGraphs estimates that CBT number at $13.04 million, while Blum at AP at roughly $12.9 million.
Aside from versatility at premium defensive positions, Edman proved to be a useful player on offense as well, hitting .237/.294/.417 with a 98 wRC+ in 37 games during the regular season. In the playoffs he was even better, hitting .328/.354/.508 with a 139 wRC+. Edman drove in 11 runs in six games against the Mets, and won NLCS MVP.
The switch-hitter was especially effective from the right side of the plate with the Dodgers, getting a combined 25 hits in 51 at-bats between the regular season and postseason, hitting .490/.491/1.000 with six home runs, six doubles, a triple, and 16 RBI in only 53 plate appearances.
"He's a guy who fits us really well, with how talented he is on defense and at different difficult spots to find and access in the market," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Tuesday. "I just could not foresee a way that he wouldn't fit us, looking out."
Edman has a career 100 wRC+, in other words right at league average offensively, to go with plus defense at every spot up the middle. That's an incredibly valuable player to have. Think Chris Taylor with a better glove.
Taylor three years ago signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Dodgers for his ages 31-34. Edman's new deal added $64.5 million and four years to his existing contract, and now runs through 2029, his age-34 season.
"It means a lot to me to be valued by the organization I'm with," Edman told David Vassegh of AM570 on Saturday at a signing event. "It kind of just gave me the confidence to continue to go out and play my game, and not try to be anyone I'm not."
