3 Cardinals offseason moves that already look bad

Everything with Tommy Edman

The mishandling of Tommy Edman is perhaps the front office's biggest offense this offseason. At Winter Warm-Up, John Mozeliak noted that he failed to acknowledge Edman's wrist injury because he didn't think it was important. He led fans to believe that Edman would be ready for Opening Day with no problem. Not only did Edman miss all of Spring Training, but he could also miss the rest of the season. After declaring Edman as the starting center fielder, nothing has gone right.

The Cardinals even signed Edman to a two-year contract extension, buying out his final two arbitration years. Had they understood the severity of Edman's injury at the time, this extension probably could've been avoided. Instead, the Cardinals are locked into yet another arbitration contract with a player whose health is in question and has lost significant trade value.

Had the Cardinals moved on from Edman at the trade deadline last year or even earlier in the 2023 offseason, they could've recouped significant value for a piece that has multiple redundancies on the Cardinals' roster. However, they held onto Edman as insurance for Victor Scott II, Dylan Carlson, and Masyn Winn. Carlson is now hurt, and both Scott and Winn are regulars in the Cardinals lineup, leaving little room for Edman.

It's also no guarantee that Edman will be the same player he once was after returning from such a severe injury. If Victor Scott runs with his opportunity in center field and Masyn Winn continues playing at the level he has to start the season, Edman will be relegated to a bench utility role. For a player signed to a hefty arbitration deal, it makes the most sense for the Cardinals to trade him and fill other holes on the roster. However, it looks like the team has waited too long once again and will have to wait until he returns and rebuilds his once sky-high value.