Acquired from the Brewers for Chris Dickerson three weeks ago, Jim Edmonds played just nine games for the Reds before being sidelined by an oblique injury and the 40-year-old said yesterday that he’s now leaning toward retiring after the season:
Edmonds will try to get healthy enough to contribute to the Reds down the stretch and into October, but told Milwaukee reporters that he misses playing for the Brewers:
He also revealed that Brewers manager Ken Macha talked him out of calling it quits just prior to the trade, with Edmonds saying “it was the only thing that kept me going.” Edmonds has played remarkably well this season considering he’s 40 years old, sat out all of last season after failing to find an interested team, and has struggled with various injuries. He’s hit .277/.337/.481 with nine homers and 23 doubles in 264 plate appearances, and his .818 OPS ranks fourth among NL center fielders with at least 250 trips to the plate. I’m fairly certain Edmonds won’t come close to getting the votes necessary for the Hall of Fame, but he has a very good case and is perhaps one of the most underrated players of this era. He’s an eight-time Gold Glove winner with 391 career homers and a .902 lifetime OPS that ranks 10th all time among center fielders. Few people seem to recognize it, but Edmonds is likely one of the dozen best center fielders in baseball history.
