Edmonds sees 2006 as pivotal

[Justin]

Cards center fielder out to prove 2005 dropoff was an anomaly

JUPITER, Fla. -- Had Jim Edmonds said the same thing a year earlier, no one would have taken notice. But when the 35-year-old acknowledged last month that there are no guarantees beyond 2006, the "revelation" drew plenty of unwanted attention -- from fans, from reporters and even from manager Tony La Russa.
Edmonds, an eight-time Gold Glover and four-time All-Star, saw his numbers dip from MVP-level in 2004 to some of the lowest of his career in 2005. He hit 13 fewer home runs, drove in 22 fewer runs and saw his slugging percentage drop 110 points.

Coming off the downturn, Edmonds granted that there was no guarantee the Cardinals would pick up his 2007 contract option -- and then mused that perhaps no one would want him. It may be a silly idea to ponder, that no team would have a use for Edmonds, but somehow it developed legs. Edmonds has no desire to retire yet, and he's not trying to get out of St. Louis. If he's back with the Cardinals in 2007, and beyond, that will be good news to him.

But Edmonds took a look at his surroundings and realized that nothing is set in stone. And then he made his one mistake -- being honest about it. Yet even before Edmonds publicly pondered his future in a St. Louis uniform, some observers wondered just how much he had left. And Edmonds wasn't oblivious to the conversations.

"I know it wasn't a good year," he said. "I think the tough thing is that there are so many people that watch our team now that people bring it up a lot. 'You guys had a great year last year.' That reminds me that we did accomplish a lot, but I also didn't have a great year. I get to the mode where I come into camp with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder and really want to prove something."

So it's fair to call this a make-good year for one of the Cardinals' most pivotal players. That holds true not only in Edmonds' own eyes, but for the team as well. The Cardinals hold a $10 million contract option on Edmonds for 2007, with a $3 million buyout. If they're confident they'll get the 2004 version, it's a slam dunk. Even if they get the Edmonds from 2000-03, it's a relative bargain in baseball's current economic climate.

"That comes into play, but that's more up to them," Edmonds said. "I guess I [need to] prove [it] to them, too. I've got to go out there and perform so I can stay there. But that's not why I'm saying this. The thought on my mind is to go out there and perform for me and for my team and prove that I still belong in this league."

Most within the club expect a return to form.

"Since he's been a Cardinal, he has been outstanding to great," said La Russa. "And last year, he was just good. I imagine he enjoys outstanding to great. But he was a good player for us last year. And if he's motivated to be better than good, that's good for us."

Edmonds has always been given to peaks and valleys offensively, even in his best seasons. When he's rolling, he's all but unstoppable. When he's struggling, he can look utterly lost.


One of the problems in 2005, he says, is that he tried too hard to fix things rather than simply riding out some of the tough times. Edmonds fiddled with his swing and his stance, and that sent him deeper into a hole rather than righting the ship.

"You get beat a couple times, so you think you need to make adjustments," he said. "I'd never really done that before like I did last year. ... Sometimes you tweak, and you don't get results, so you tweak again. But I actually realize what I was doing, realized why it wasn't working, and that helped a lot."

He arrived in camp several days early this year, as is his habit. Edmonds builds slowly through the spring and doesn't always play a large number of exhibition games. His priority is Opening Day, rather than a Wednesday afternoon game in Port St. Lucie.

And for a variety of reasons, this Opening Day -- and remainder of the season -- may be his most important as a Cardinal. With the departures of Larry Walker and Reggie Sanders, more of the offense will have to be carried by Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Edmonds.

Locking up Mark Mulder is likely the Cardinals' first long-term priority, but making a decision on Edmonds is not a back-burner issue. The team would be interested in reaching an agreement on a longer deal, and in an ideal world they'd love to soften the blow of that $10 million for 2006 in exchange. But that might be difficult to sell to Edmonds.

"It's not that I'm not open," he said. "I'm open to anything. But I also want to be treated fairly."

Edmonds is not the kind of player who is likely to linger for years once he becomes ineffective. He has pondered life after baseball, and the thought doesn't frighten him. If retirement comes in a year and a half, so be it. And though he'd prefer to stay in St. Louis, if the future takes him to another big league city, well, so be it.

"Do I worry," he said, "that I won't be here? No, not anymore. It was [a worry] a couple years ago, but I'm to a point now where I know it's a business. They might not need me. They might not want me. It's kind of like the retirement thing -- I have to mentally prepare myself for the worst. Mentally that's what I'm doing."

And how many more years does he want to play?

"I'd really like to play my option year, and then just wait and see. So we'll see about that."

A little honesty, mixed with a little caginess. Maybe that will keep people off his back for a while.

[redsrbetter]

I honestly think that Edmonds may be on a bit of a decline. As much as I can't stand him, I have been waiting for him to slow down and he just hasn't yet. 2005 was not his best season and maybe he is starting to fall off a bit, but I don't think he has to worry too much about his contract season. He is definitely a premier CF and even some slowing down will not keep him from being one of the best in the game. And I hate this guy, but I have to be honest, he has a nice game.