3 St. Louis Cardinals who deserve extensions after Tommy Edman
By Curt Bishop
Earlier this week, the St. Louis Cardinals inked their starting center fielder Tommy Edman to a two-year, $16.5 million contract, avoiding arbitration.
Edman has won a Gold Glove and has been a tremendous asset to the Cardinals since breaking into the big leagues in 2019. Able to play all positions in the infield and outfield, Edman has become somewhat of a Swiss-army knife for St. Louis.
But after extending Edman, the Cardinals could look at trying to extend some other players as well. Here are three players on the Cardinals roster who deserve extensions in addition to Edman.
3. Brendan Donovan
Much like Edman, Brendan Donovan has also become a valuable commodity for the Cardinals. He can play all positions in the infield and in the outfield and also has a Gold Glove to his name.
But it won't be long before the Cardinals and Donovan may decide to talk about a new contract.
Donovan came to the majors in 2022 and was a finalist for Rookie of the Year honors in the National League. He even helped guide them to their first NL Central title since 2019.
He missed the second half of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery but should be good to go in spring training. And with Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt both aging, Donovan will play a key role in setting up the future for the Cardinals.
He possesses power and speed and provides elite defense, making him one of the Cardinals most indispensable players. The Cardinals certainly felt the sting of not having him in the lineup in the second half.
Donovan is only getting better, too, so now might be the right time for the Cardinals to discuss an extension with him and lock up the young star at a good price.