Inside The Cardinals

Dodgers' Dave Roberts Surprised How Valuable Ex-Cardinals Star Has Become: Report

The former St. Louis slugger is dominating in Los Angeles
Nate Hagerty|
Oct 27, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts speaks at a press conference prior to game three of the World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankees Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Oct 27, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts speaks at a press conference prior to game three of the World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankees Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsLos Angeles Dodgers

The St. Louis Cardinals have arguably been one of the league's most foolish franchises over the past decade after prematurely parting with several homegrown stars before blossoming.

For instance, there was a time when the Cardinals held Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen and 2022 National League Cy Young recipient Sandy Alcantara. Sadly, St. Louis traded both frontline hurlers for two-time Silver Slugger Marcell Ozuna, who signed with the Atlanta Braves two years later.

Another former Cardinals homegrown asset traded away before breaking out with the Los Angeles Dodgers is off to a hot start in 2025, shocking the defending World Series champions' manager, Dave Roberts.

"With no disrespect to (Tommy) Edman, even manager Dave Roberts admitted to some surprise that the switch-hitting utility man has been so valuable to the Dodgers since being acquired ahead of last year's Trade Deadline," MLB.com's Sonja Chen wrote Thursday. "Edman has been great in the field, mostly at second base, and even if the power numbers take a dip, he has reliably helped make things happen for Los Angeles' lineup in the early going."

Edman is batting .259 with 14 hits, six extra-base hits including five home runs, 11 RBIs and a .867 OPS in 54 at-bats across 14 games played for the Dodgers this season.

The Cardinals' 2016 sixth-round draft pick was dealt to Los Angeles at last summer's trade deadline in a three-team deal that included the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis. The 11-time World Series champions landed veteran right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde and journeyman Tommy Pham, now with the division-foe Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 29-year-old played a significant role in helping the Dodgers win their eighth World Series title last season. Regretably, the Cardinals traded Edman, the 2024 NL Championship Series MVP, for a regressing starting pitcher with one solid campaign under his belt and an aging slugger playing for his 10th different franchise throughout his 12-year career.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak traded Edman last summer, who had spent the entire season on the injured list, only to watch him blossom as one of the league's most prolific utility players -- a mistake he failed to recognize coming.

Unfortunately, making short-sighted decisions, such as trading Edman to the Dodgers last summer, is part of the legacy Mozeliak will leave behind when Chaim Bloom supplants him as the Cardinals' next baseball boss this fall.

More MLB: Cardinals Gold Glover Has Quietly Replaced Yankees' Paul Goldschmidt As Team's Leader

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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