Cardinals fans should be happy for Tommy Edman

Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals seem to be getting increasingly upset as the postseason goes along.

Hostilities toward Cardinals management grew exponentially at Sunday's National League Championship Series conclusion. The Los Angeles Dodgers closed out the series and are headed to the World Series against the New York Yankees, thanks to an MVP performance by former Cardinal Tommy Edman.

Edman was on the injured list for the entire 2024 season with the Cardinals while recuperating from wrist surgery. He experienced a few setbacks during his rehabilitation stints in the minor league. At the time, the Cardinals needed help if they were even going to make a push for the playoffs. Edman had signed a two-year contract over the offseason worth $16.5 million. It was unclear when or if the Gold Glove-caliber talent would return to the club. The thought turned to moving him now to get something in return.

Edman was sent to the Dodgers in return for Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham of the White Sox. Pham was released by the Cardinals once the playoffs were no longer possible for the club this season. He was picked up by the Kansas City Royals.

Fedde started ten games for the Cardinals in 2024, compiling a record of 2-5 over 55.2 innings. He had a 3.72 ERA. He is owed $7.5 million for the 2025 season.

Edman played in 37 regular season games for the Dodgers. He hit .237/.294/.417 with an OPS of .711. He had five doubles, one triple, six home runs and 20 RBIs. Edman had a spectacular NLCS for the Dodgers against the New York Mets. He hit .407/.393/.630 with an OPS of 1.022. He had three doubles, one home run, one stolen base, and 11 RBIs. This is a record for the Dodgers' postseason performances. Think about the history of the Dodgers. That's amazing.

Edman's will earn $9.5 million for the 2025 season.

The Cardinals will save $2 million in 2025 to reduce payroll and revamp their player development system. Edman's season with the Dodgers will continue on Oct. 25 when the World Series begins in Los Angeles.

Yes, it is incredibly frustrating that the Cardinals have found themselves in this situation. The Cardinals have admitted they made mistakes and must revamp their systems to return to their winning ways. Moves had to be made. No one knew if Edman would even be back this season. It's frustrating to see Edman in Dodger blue. But it's also exciting to see that player we so loved seeing wear the Birds on the Bat have success.

Edman wouldn't be the NLCS MVP had he not been moved to the Dodgers. Yes, it's frustrating. But there is no reason to get as upset as we've seen folks online get.

While the last two seasons have been horrible for Cardinals fans, we don't know what to expect from the team over the next few seasons. The team does seem headed in a good direction. We have new leadership coming aboard. It's time to look to the future.

In the meantime, there is no sense in crying about what could have been with Edman. It's sad that he is no longer a Cardinal, but let's be happy for him. He overcame a wrist injury that hampered his comeback. He got healthy and helped his new team reach the World Series. That's amazing. That's great for Tommy Edman. Let's be happy for him and not ruminate on what could have happened.

Move on. Go Cardinals!