“I’m very confident I’ll be ready for the season,” said Edman, who recently shed the cast he’s been wearing to protect the wrist. “We’ll see what spring looks like. I think hitting will be the big step, because there are so many steps that go along with it. You’ve got to [hit off the] tee, then soft toss, and then [batting practice], and then [off the pitching] machine and getting into games. Again, we’ll take that day by day, figure out each step as my wrist responds to each thing.”
That’s not exactly ideal for a Cardinals club that is looking to Edman to once again steady an outfield that struggled on the defensive side of the ball last season. Rookie Jordan Walker understandably had trouble in his first season as a converted outfielder, Opening Day center fielder Tyler O’Neill couldn’t stay healthy (and has since been traded), and Lars Nootbaar did his best to fill the gap in center even though he is ideally a corner outfielder.
It wasn’t until Edman -- who had previously bounced between second base and shortstop with great aplomb -- was installed as the everyday center fielder that the defense finally stabilized. How good was Edman, a career infielder, in center field in a short burst? According to FieldingBible.com, Edman had plus-three Defensive Runs Saved in center field, while the other six Cardinals who played there had a negative-four combined. Already a Gold Glove winner at second base in 2021, Edman’s versatility in ‘23 helped make him a utility Gold Glove finalist for a second straight season.