Edmonds signs $19 million contract with Cards

[Mainspark]

Edmonds and Cardinals agree to $19 million, 2-year contract
By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals agreed Friday to a $19 million, two-year contract with center fielder Jim Edmonds, their first major move since winning the World Series.
The 36-year-old Edmonds had filed provisionally for free agency on Nov. 2, awaiting a decision by the team on its $10 million option, which carried a $3 million buyout.
St. Louis had until Saturday to exercise its option on the eight-time Gold Glove winner. Instead, the sides agreed to a new deal that calls for an $11 million salary next year and $8 million in 2008. St. Louis will defer $3 million of his 2007 salary, paying it in equal installments from 2010-19.
The deal reflects the Cardinals’ satisfaction with Edmonds’ strong performance in the postseason on the heels of an injury-plagued season that was his worst this decade.
“Jim has been a great Cardinal and one of the best players in the game since he’s been with us,” team chairman William DeWitt said. “We are pleased to have him back for the next two years.”
Edmonds shook off physical problems that dogged him throughout the regular season, leading the Cardinals with 10 RBIs in the postseason. He went a month between starts due to post-concussion syndrome and also had shoulder and foot injuries, batting .257 with 19 homers and 70 RBIs — his lowest totals since 1999.
General manager Walt Jocketty said the Cardinals would like to have Edmonds finish his career in St. Louis.
“It wasn’t a difficult decision,” Jocketty said. “We wanted to make sure he was OK. Obviously, he was in the month of October.”
Edmonds batted only .156 against left-handers, leading manager Tony La Russa to ponder at one point whether to platoon him in the playoffs. During the postseason, Edmonds needed a daily numbing injection in his left foot related to a problem caused by a bunion, and may also need minor offseason shoulder surgery.
In the last six weeks of the regular season, he made only four starts.
None of that held him back in the postseason. Edmonds homered twice in the NL championship series and his two-run double off lefty Nate Robertson provided the first runs in the Cardinals’ 5-0 victory over the Tigers in Game 3 of the World Series.
Edmonds also made several nice plays in the outfield, topped by a spectacular catch at the wall in Game 5 of the NLCS to rob the Mets’ Jose Reyes of extra bases.
Jocketty said Edmonds was “extremely happy” with the contract extension.
“He came back strong physically and played well,” Jocketty said. “The two-year extension is something we felt we wanted to try and do.”
Since joining the Cardinals in a trade from Anaheim, Edmonds has ranked in the top five in slugging percentage, home runs, RBIs, doubles and batting average among all center fielders. He has batted .288 with 229 homers, fourth on the franchise career list, and 660 RBIs in 988 games with the Cardinals.
Edmonds won a Gold Glove in each of his first six seasons with St. Louis. His injury-plagued 2006 ended that run.

[Joseph]

I like this signing for the Reds. Eats up money for the Cards and he's basically a walking injury at this stage in his career [no Griffey comments please]. If it weakens the opponent, it strengthens the Reds.

[Red in Chicago]

bad deal for the cards...hopefully, it will bite them in the butt next year...

[Falls City Beer]

It's not a bad deal. All that matters is that they get production out of him next season.

[Spring~Fields]

Originally Posted by Joseph

I like this signing for the Reds. Eats up money for the Cards and he's basically a walking injury at this stage in his career [no Griffey comments please]. If it weakens the opponent, it strengthens the Reds.

Ok, I promise no Griffey comments.

I just cannot believe that the World Champion Cardinals would spend this much money on the aging and walking injured when they could have had Bubba Crosby who plays the game right and cheap!

[George Foster]

Originally Posted by SpringfieldFan

Ok, I promise no Griffey comments.

I just cannot believe that the World Champion Cardinals would spend this much money on the aging and walking injured when they could have had Bubba Crosby who plays the game right and cheap!

He had a great World Series....it was a reward for delivering a ring to St. Louis after 22 years.

[TOBTTReds]

Originally Posted by George Foster

He had a great World Series....it was a reward for delivering a ring to St. Louis after 22 years.

The ring is the reward, not a 2 year $19 mil contract. I'm thrilled with this deal. I'd be furious if I were a cards fan. That would be like the Reds picking up Griffey's option for a couple years. This deal, and the Stro's keeping Biggio around helps the Reds. Plus, I'm guessing the Cards cant make a big splash in FA for pitching now too.

[redsupport]

the difference is that edmonds has contributed to some winning, grioffey is only good for stock rises in ibuprofin

[Ron Madden]

Originally Posted by George Foster

He had a great World Series....it was a reward for delivering a ring to St. Louis after 22 years.

It could be another 22 years or more before they win again if they keep making deals such as this.

[mth123]

I think this is ok. Who else do they have? So Taguchi? There is no one on the FA market that I would want to play CF (except Drew but this deal was done before he was available). Edmonds hasn't slipped anywhere close to as much as Griffey has and comparing them is not accurate. These 2 years will keep St. L respectable until the next CF (Rasmus?) is ready.

Edmonds would be the Reds 3rd best player (EE, Dunn) and I'd take him in a heartbeat for a couple years. He isn't as bad as Griffey on defense or offense. It isn't even close IMO.

[Wheelhouse]

Good! They are weaker now from a FA standpoint.

[Joseph]

All I'm trying to say is they spend 8.5 million this year of their budget on Jim Edmonds who is likely to miss more time this year than he did last year. He's more likely to lose another step in the OF defensively.

Any money they funnel into Edmonds is money they aren't spending on improving themselves by making a trade for a better CFer or signing a cheaper, equally good FA option and investing that money into a better pitching staff.

It's not that he's terrible, he's beat the crud out of the Reds in his tenure with the Cards. I'm just saying he's less likely to be worth this contract than in days past.

[cincinnati chili]

Do they expect his injuries to carry over? If not, then this is a good deal. He was an elite center fielder 2 years ago, 3 years ago, etc.

[Red in Chicago]

Originally Posted by cincinnati chili

Do they expect his injuries to carry over? If not, then this is a good deal. He was an elite center fielder 2 years ago, 3 years ago, etc.

i'm sure they don't expect the injury bug to carry over...i mean, who would have thought junior's injuries would have continued after 2001? paying out 19million to a center fielder who will be 37 and 38 years of age, sounds risky to me, but it's the cards, so i hope it doesn't work out...

[cincinnati chili]

Originally Posted by Red in Chicago

i'm sure they don't expect the injury bug to carry over...i mean, who would have thought junior's injuries would have continued after 2001? paying out 19million to a center fielder who will be 37 and 38 years of age, sounds risky to me, but it's the cards, so i hope it doesn't work out...

It's also a 2-year deal. Much less risk, and while $19 million total a lot of money, it's much less than the Griffey deal was.