St. Louis Cardinals: Four darkhorse candidates to be traded this winter

Tommy Edman

I don’t think this happens, but don’t be shocked if it does. As much as the Cardinals value his versatility, speed, and defense, there is a surprising amount of middle-infield depth in the organization. Especially if the Cardinals re-sign Brad Miller and extend Kolten Wong, Edman’s value becomes a surplus.

After his fantastic rookie season, Edman had a bit of a sophomore slump. In fact, not a single stat of his increased over the shortened 60-game year. Batting average, on-base, slugging percentage– somehow Edman walked the same amount of times as in 2019 (16 walks) but he was a lot less effective at the plate in every other regard.

There might be some worry of selling low on Edman, but I think most teams will still jump at the chance to acquire a 25-year old who can play five positions and run like the wind. You take a risk giving up that talent, but the Cardinals could get quite a lot for him.

Rebuilding teams tend to follow the blueprint of whatever team won the year before. As we see with the Dodgers and Rays in the World Series, lineup depth and flexibility are huge parts of a championship team. The Cardinals are known for producing that sort of ultra-utility player, and as they look to improve in other areas, dealing Edman from a position of strength would be quite the move.