Rover no more, Edman inherits second base

As the Cardinals come down from the excitement surrounding their league-altering move this week, landing perennial MVP candidate Nolan Arenado, they watched one of their longest-tenured homegrown players -- the kind the organization prides itself on -- depart for a division rival.

Kolten Wong will play for the Brewers in 2021, putting an end to his 10 years in the Cards’ organization. While his departure is of little surprise after the Cardinals in October declined a $12.5 million club option for 2021, the reports about Wong on Wednesday officially thrust the second-base spotlight onto Tommy Edman.

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The rest of the infield is set: Paul Goldschmidt at first base, Paul DeJong at shortstop and Arenado at third base. Put another way: a three-time Gold Glover at first, a 2019 finalist at short and an eight-timer (four times Platinum) at third.

St. Louis hopes Edman can join that echelon playing regularly at second in 2021 after filling a super utility role during his first two Major League seasons. The switch-hitter's bat plays, with a .283/.337/.449 career slash line, and so does the glove overall, with his 4 outs above average in ’20 tying outfielders Tyler O'Neill and Harrison Bader atop the Cardinals’ leaderboard.

The question is if that is true at second specifically. Edman has played most of his big league games at third (86, 58 starts), including more than half of his appearances last season compared with just six starts at second in 2020. Edman, of course, didn’t see much time at second because of the presence of Wong, the two-time reigning National League Gold Glove Award winner.

“I have no problem with Tommy Edman playing second base,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said on Friday. “Obviously, that was part of the plan.”

Edman is set to become the Cardinals’ first regular second baseman since Wong claimed the role in 2014. The club’s first-round Draft pick in 2011, Wong debuted at 22 in the second half of ‘13, serving as a defensive replacement in the pennant run before playing regularly at the onset of ’14.

St. Louis will not need to wait long to see Wong, the Brewer. The Cards’ home opener, scheduled for April 8, is against Milwaukee.

Wong was a fan favorite -- affable, accountable and always dazzling with the glove alongside DeJong. His bat didn’t catch up to the level he raked in the Minors, but his 5.2 bWAR in 2019 was the highest by a Cardinals second baseman since Matt Carpenter’s 6.6 mark in his All-Star season of ’13. Those are St. Louis’ two highest marks at the position since the 1980s.

Wong also was responsible for the last out of Game 4 of the 2013 World Series, picked off by Koji Uehara at first base. Along his endlessly silky highlight reels, it was moments like his gutted and heartfelt reaction to that mistake that endeared him to St. Louis.

Wong provided a constant display of second-base excellence for Edman. The 25-year-old Edman now has the opportunity to build his own legacy at the position.