Cardinals fans are once again overreacting to a former player finding success

I get it, when the going gets tough, it's hard not to throw your arms up at every additional issue that comes to the surface.

Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen, Randy Arozarena, Adolis Garcia, Tyler O'Neill, Lane Thomas, and there are probably others you'll point to, it's felt like whenever a Cardinal leaves St. Louis before getting a real opportunity or flames out, they end up finding a lot of success with someone else.

It almost felt inevitable that when Tommy Edman was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Erick Fedde trade, he would end up performing well for them and causing Cardinals fans to pull their hair out once again. And if you've paid any attention to the Dodgers since he ended up in Los Angeles, you'll know that has very much been the case.

On their way to winning the 2024 World Series title, the Dodgers witnessed firsthand how Tommy Edman came up clutch in the biggest situations, capturing the NLCS MVP honors while hitting .407 with 11 RBI. On top of that, Edman gave the Dodgers the flexibility to play him up the middle at shortstop, second base, and center field, and he can play the corner outfield and third base as well.

Edman received a five-year, $75 million extension from the Dodgers this offseason, and he picked up right where he left off as 2025 began. In his first 18 games with the Los Angeles this year, Edman is slashing .235/.274/.529 with six home runs and 14 RBI, good for a 122 wRC+ as he's become a critical piece of the Dodgers' lineup.

So, Cardinals fans are freaking out now, but I've got to be honest, I feel like the uproar has risen to the level of an overreaction by many.

Tommy Edman's success with the Dodgers doesn't mean the Cardinals made another massive mistake by trading him.

Here's the TL;DR, and then I'll explain my point in detail: As much as I love what Tommy Edman brought to the Cardinals during his time with St. Louis, he wasn't going to be a part of their long-term plans, nor should he have. Two things can be true at once — Tommy Edman can be the perfect fit for this Dodgers team and also not be necessary for St. Louis anymore.

Let's dive into that.

Prior to the 2024 season, Edman had just two years of club control remaining with the Cardinals. That five-year, $74 million deal that Edman got from the Dodgers was looming, and St. Louis was not, and should not have been, the club to pay that.

Masyn Winn is the shortstop of the present and future for the Cardinals. Brendan Donovan is manning second base, is a better player than Edman, and has been producing even more than him offensively. Victor Scott II may not be the player Edman is right now, but he's not making $15,650,000 a year like Edman is. Scott has been dynamic in his own right to start the year, and the Cardinals have high hopes for him moving forward. Oh, and JJ Wetherholt is coming, and he'll take one of those infield spots at some point.

So, where was Edman going to play? Sure, he could play over Scott, but is that the best use of their roster and both players' value? No, it isn't, and while Erick Fedde lacks the flash that Edman has had as of late, he's a very valuable piece for the Cardinals' roster right now and as an asset beyond this year.

There is a reason why not just Cardinals media and fans, but pundits around the game, believed that the Cardinals made an excellent trade when they acquired both Fedde and Tommy Pham while only letting go of Edman to do so. While we'd all love for every trade to be highway robbery, it typically takes value to get value, and a player like Fedde warrants that.

Now, the Cardinals could end up handling this situation poorly if they do not maximize Fedde's value at this year's trade deadline or possibly get a compensation pick for him this offseason, but the trade itself value-wise was not a mistake, and letting go of Edman in general was also the right decision long term. Had they not traded him at the 2024 trade deadline, he would have been a top trade candidate this offseason for them. Maybe they get a prospect package for him instead this time, and perhaps you'd prefer that, but I still believe that the value of Fedde measures up in a worthwhile way.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on this, and I'm just sharing mine. I'm choosing to be happy for Edman. I'm excited to watch him play live in Los Angeles this week when I catch the Dodgers-Rockies series. Edman is a great person, plays the game the right way, and did nothing but make St. Louis proud. But sometimes paths head in different directions, and it is not anyone's fault. The Cardinals are in a transition phase of their franchise, and Edman was primed to contribute for a contender. The Cardinals have good, cost-controlled options at every position Edman could help them at, and paying over $15 million a year to keep him around just was not worth the value they could get in return for him.

Perhaps I'll look back at this and be widely wrong. If Edman keeps cranking home runs at a crazy rate like he has to start the year and is now a 25-home-run-a-year guy, we'll need to reevaluate this. But as much as I like Edman, I don't see that as being sustainable.

Only time will tell, but for now, the Edman trade remains a win-win for the Cardinals and the Dodgers, and the White Sox were left holding the bag as they lost another trade. I just do not see Edman's success lately as an indictment on the Cardinals.