Dodgers' Tommy Edman goes from unheralded midseason pickup to NLCS MVP – Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES – As Andrew Friedman stood on the field Sunday night in his fresh new “National League Champions” t-shirt, he was asked what he expected from Tommy Edman when he made a trade in July for a man who was still hadn't played all year.

“NLCS MVP,” Friedman said with a smile.

The Dodgers' president of baseball operations has made many of his acquisitions big and small during the team's recent winning streak, but his deal for Edman now appears to be one of the most opportunistic.

Edman was named NL Championship Series MVP after hitting .407 with 11 RBIs in the six-game series that the Dodgers concluded with a 10-5 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday night. He tied Corey Seager's Dodgers record for most RBIs in a postseason series.

“It’s pretty crazy, especially given the history of the organization, to have set this record,” Edman said. “I had no idea about it until I guess after the game. But a big part of that is thanks to the guys on the team. We had really good attacks throughout the series. Our entire lineup was really good. Any number of guys could have won MVP.”

His two-run double in the first inning gave the Dodgers the lead, and then his two-run home run in the third inning extended the lead to 6-1.

“Unbelievable,” Friedman said. “Throughout the series he seemed to be in the middle of a lot of the things we were up to. Such a calm pulse. For someone who doesn’t have as much postseason experience as some of our guys, he seemed to have a calmness about him that stood out.”

The Dodgers acquired the 29-year-old Edman from the St. Louis Cardinals shortly before the July 30 trade deadline in a three-team deal. At that point he hadn't even played yet. He missed most of the season rehabbing from wrist surgery and re-injured his ankle while working up.

Edman didn't play his first major league game of the season until August 19, three weeks after the trade.

“After the start of the season, it’s crazy to end up in this situation today,” Edman said. “The team welcomed me with open arms. I can’t wait to keep going.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who moved Edman back to the mopup spot for Game 6, said he was impressed with how much Edman was able to contribute after missing so much.

“It’s a crazy development,” Roberts said. “I can't say enough about the front office's ability to acquire him at the deadline. They know what he can do for us on the field and (in the) clubhouse. It's just incredible. I never thought that after we won it, he would go fourth in a postseason game. But I trust him. The boys trust him. He made great defensive plays for us and scored big goals. So I’m very, very happy to have a player like Tommy.”

Friedman said the Dodgers had been trying to get Edman for years. His versatility was particularly appealing.

“Just a really good baseball player,” Friedman said. “(Shortstop Miguel) Rojas gets hurt and (Edman) goes from center field to shortstop. There aren't many people in the world who can do this at such a high level. He's a really good baseball player. Just had his nose in the middle of everything we were doing in the middle of the series.”

Earlier in the series, Edman suggested that his first few weeks with the Dodgers were akin to spring training. He said he finally felt more comfortable thanks to the work he put in during the break between the end of the regular season and the Division Series against the San Diego Padres.