LOS ANGELES — The conversation became a right of passage between Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. As the trade deadline approached each summer, Friedman kept Roberts updated on potential targets. One name kept coming up: Tommy Edman, the super utility player for the St. Louis Cardinals.

“This started like it did three years ago,” Roberts said after a 10-5 victory over the Mets in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series sent the Dodgers back to the World Series. “I don’t know if I can even say this publicly, but. . .”

The secret was revealed. This July, the Dodgers finally got their man. This October, he etched his place in franchise history, lifting the MVP trophy on Sunday night after hitting a two-run double and hitting a two-run home run to win in a game where the Dodgers used seven different pitchers to build a big enough lead. He was brought in to bolster the lineup and became a crucial part of their production, providing cleanup duties in two NLCS games, including the deciding game. He hit .407 in the series, driving in 11 runs.

The awards gave Edman a fairytale moment. He spent most of this season recovering from his injuries. He didn't make his 2024 debut until August 19th.
“It’s something you always dream about,” Edman said. “Not exactly what I expected.”

Unstoppable.

Tommy Edman is your NLCS MVP! pic.twitter.com/rUy2oaC2Be

– Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 21, 2024

This October, Edman showed why the Dodgers wanted him. He represented the ideal of an archetype that Friedman favors, the type of utility player capable of providing solid offense at several different positions. Edman is a switch-hitter who has played six different spots. He can handle center field and shortstop credibly. Friedman grinned when asked how long he had wanted Edman.

“He’s a highly skilled player,” Friedman said. “I like high quality players.”

The versatility allowed Roberts to cover multiple holes when the club was plagued by injuries. When starting shortstop Miguel Rojas was sidelined in the National League Division Series with a groin injury, Roberts moved Edman there from center field, a decision that also brought Kiké Hernández into the lineup. Edman provided stability in the infield as the group changed shape, while Freddie Freeman dealt with a sprained ankle and Gavin Lux nursed tightness in his hip flexor.

He served as a one-man Band-Aid for a team that needed one. “He’s kind of the epitome of what we needed to get this ballclub over,” Roberts said.

Edman, a 29-year-old from La Jolla, California, spent the last five seasons with the Cardinals. Last October he underwent surgery on his right wrist. The procedure delayed the start of his season. As he worked his way back, he sprained his ankle. When he took part in rehab games in July, he struggled with persistent pain.

On July 28, Edman was the designated hitter for Double-A Springfield. A day later he was a Dodger. Friedman orchestrated a three-man trade between the Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox. In exchange for a package led by former top prospect Miguel Vargas, the Dodgers received Michael Kopech, the hard-throwing reliever who opened Sunday's proceedings, and Edman. Edman's impending arrival excited the Dodgers, who had admired his skills from afar.

“You're talking about a guy who's Gold Glove level at a lot of positions, hits from both sides, steals bases, lays bunts, takes hits, hits for power,” infielder Max Muncy said. “You’re just talking about an absolute gamer. When we got it, everyone here was really excited.”

Kopech was ready to join the Dodgers bullpen. Edman still needed time. He met the team in San Diego as the training staff was planning his onboarding. He accompanied the group to Oakland, where the team organized a series of simulated games to test its readiness.

“A lot of guys find it pretty tiring to have to go through,” said Brandon McDaniel, vice president of player performance. “He did every rep the way he was supposed to do it and he did every shot the way he was supposed to do it. He was just the ultimate professional the whole time.”

Edman spent six games at Triple-A Oklahoma City before the Dodgers activated him. His abilities as a defender were evident from the start. He moved between center field and shortstop with ease. His hits were less reliable. Edman was far more productive against left-handed pitchers. But the Dodgers could live with poor performance against right-handers, especially in a lineup already well-stocked with lefties like Muncy, Freeman and Shohei Ohtani.

For most of this postseason, Edman rotated between the eighth and ninth spots in the lineup. He posted an OPS of .471 against San Diego. He made a sacrifice in a laugher in Game 1 against the Mets. Apparently he wasn't here for his bat. But he recorded three hits in Game 2 and was one of the few Dodgers comfortable against Mets southpaw Sean Manaea.

With Freeman struck out and lefty Jose Quintana starting Game 4, Roberts used Edman as his cleanup hitter. Before this postseason, he had only batted No. 4 four times in his career. He seemed unfazed by the promotion and picked up two doubles in another romp. With Manaea back on the mound for Game 6 and Freeman back on the bench, Edman resumed the cleanup role. He spent time before the game using the club's trajectory pitching machine, which can simulate any pitcher's throw, including Manaea's dropped arm angle.

Edman came in with one out and two runners on in the first inning. He fouled four throws before Manaea tried to spot a backdoor sweeper. Edman got down on one knee as he hit a two-run double to left field. The hit took some of the pressure off the relief corps after Kopech had scored a run in the first. Edman's next hit forced Mets manager Carlos Mendoza to consider using his exhausted replacements.

In the third inning, after a leadoff single by outfielder Teoscar Hernández, Edman pressed Manaea again. Manaea fired four changes. Edman spoiled three of them. His goal was to hit a line drive up the middle. Manaea tried to climb the ladder with a four-seam fastball. The pitch was probably a ball. Edman struck out anyway, landing on the ball and sending it into the stands in left field.

“It was crazy,” Edman said. “It was one of those turnarounds where I look back and think, ‘Wow. I don't really know how I did it.' Of course it’s cool that there’s that momentum in there.”

As Edman spoke in the Dodgers clubhouse, a shower of Budweiser enveloped him.

“Tommy Tanks!” substitute catcher Austin Barnes shouted as he poured the concoction over the MVP. “Tommy Tanks!”

Edman ended his interviews. He took a sip of his own bud. Then he waded into the puddles of spilled alcohol and general nonsense in the middle of the room. He had earned the right to celebrate. No wonder the Dodgers have wanted him for so long.

“Given what happened with Miggy Ro, I can say he is as valuable as any player on our roster,” Roberts said of Edman. “The ability to play center field, the ability to play shortstop and be safe. And finishing fourth in a lineup in an NLCS game. Pretty good player.”

(Top photo of Tommy Edman celebrating after receiving the MVP trophy for the NLCS: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)