Tommy Edman and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a five-year, $74 million contract extension in November.
Edman’s new contract replaces the final year of his previous two-year deal, extending his tenure from 2025 through 2029. The agreement includes a sixth-year club option worth $13 million with a $3 million buyout. He also received a $17 million signing bonus, with roughly one-third of the contract’s total value deferred.
The utility player recently revealed why he decided to have deferrals in his contract.
“A big part of it is just the way that the payments are spaced out,” Edman said. “Kind of allows me to maximize certain things like, just tax benefits and things like that. And then also with the deferrals, too, it is nice that I’ll be getting paid beyond just my playing career as well.
"So you know, there’s definitely benefits to both aspects, both the payments upfront and then the deferrals. So it’s kind of just smart business and smart for the team and smart for players as well.”
With Mookie Betts slated to be the team's starting shortstop in 2025, Edman is expected to see more time in center field.
The 2024 National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player was acquired at the trade deadline last year and proved himself worth of the extension with his versatility.
Edman excelled in the NLCS while playing center field and shortstop, driving in 11 runs. He carried that momentum into the World Series, posting a .988 OPS and scoring six runs in five games.
After missing time due to right wrist surgery and an ankle issue, Edman made his Dodgers debut in August and posted a .237/.294/.417 slash line with six home runs, 20 RBIs, and six stolen bases over 37 games.
Primarily batting in the eighth and ninth spots during the postseason, he also hit cleanup twice in the NLCS (Games 4 and 6) against left-handed starters, driving in seven runs. During the regular season, he excelled as a right-handed hitter, slashing .412/.418/.882 in 36 plate appearances, compared to .181/.256/.267 in 117 plate appearances from the left side.
Throughout his career, his OPS batting right-handed is nearly 140 points higher than when hitting left-handed.
Edman is set to begin his seventh Major League season, having appeared in 633 games with St. Louis (2019-2023) and Los Angeles (2024). Over his career, he has posted a .263/.317/.408 slash line while playing six different positions.
