Jim Edmonds Tours NL Central

I can’t remember a left-handed bat bouncing around the NL Central the likes of Jim Edmonds since John Vander Wal’s tour of duty with the Pirates, Brewers and Reds (2001-04).

Also similar to Vander Wal, who appeared in 49 games for the Giants in 2001, Edmonds made a brief stop out west with San Diego in 2008 before joining the Cubs later in May.

Nonetheless, Edmonds’ latest move is a smart move by Cincinnati, which lacks offensive consistency from center fielder Drew Stubbs (.234 avg, 14 HR & 51 RBI).

The concensus around baseball, and specifically the NL Central, is that Edmonds still plays solid baseball–even if it’s just a few days a week. That alone could provide just enough fire power to keep the Reds in the division hunt through September.

Despite my fondness for Edmonds, the fact the Cubs let this guy walk after the ’08 season (.256 avg, 19 HR, 49 RBI) still bothers me.

To think Milton Bradley’s on base percentage was worthy of replacing anyone, let alone a proven talent such as Edmonds, was silly, which later proved true for obvious reasons.

Who knows what would have transpired had Edmonds been retained in Chicago for 2009? At the very least, it couldn’t have faired worse than the ‘Milton The Terrible’ experience.

As it is, Edmonds has now completed the ‘John Vander Wal Tour of Duty’ through the NL Central, and joins a playoff race to boot!