The Fine Print: Edman’s Contract Extension Includes…
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Tommy Edman to a five-year, $74 million contract extension as they continue to retain players not just to defend their World Series title but for the roster in seasons well beyond 2025 as well.
Edman’s deal also includes a team option for a sixth year, which would be the 2030 season.
Edman now projects to be part of a Dodgers core that should also include Freddie Freeman (signed through 2027), Tyler Glasnow (2028), Blake Snell (2029), Mookie Betts (2032), Will Smith (2033), Shohei Ohtani (2033) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2035).
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Edman’s contract extension included a $17 million signing bonus, the team option for 2030 is valued at $13 million and includes a buyout, and roughly $25 million in deferred salary:
The contract includes a sixth-year club option for $13 million with a $3 million buyout and will give Edman a $17 million signing bonus, sources said. About one-third of the overall value of the deal is deferred, according to sources.
The Dodgers including a signing bonus and deferred money in Edman’s contract is par for the course under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
Freeman, Snell, Betts, Smith and Ohtani all have deferred salary in their respective contracts. Of course, Ohtani is an outlier as he agreed to $680 million in salary deferred for a decade. Ohtani is earning $2 million per season until 2034, and he will then $68 million annually for the next 10 years.
Glasnow did not defer any money in his Dodgers contract, nor did Yamamoto in his richest deal for a starting pitcher in MLB history.
Edman’s new contract replaces the two-year, $16.5 million deal he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in January 2024 in order to avoid arbitration. The Dodgers wound up acquiring Edman and Michael Kopech in a three-team trade with the Cardinals and Chicago White Sox on July 29.
Tommy Edman projections
Edman went on to earn National League Championship Series MVP honors as he played a key role in helping lead the Dodgers to an eighth World Series title in franchise history.
Edman figures to continue playing center field or shortstop for the Dodgers, with his everyday position likely to be determined on however the offseason unfolds.
