From a defensive standpoint, if Edmonds is healthy, this is an upgrade, regardless of his age.  His bat has declined, but his defense has remained solid and in Petco, that's a necessity.  And it's not exactly like Cameron lit it up offensively last yr.  

I think we're looking at a very similar team to last yr's - they are going to struggle offensively, but defense and pitching will keep them competitive.

has a flair for the dramatic and is a clutch guy for sure.  He'll frustrate you at the plate a bit, but he'll make up for it in the big moments.

He calls in regularly to the morning show I listen to and he's been talking about how great he feels and how much further he is ahead in his training as compared to previous years.  

I really don't understand why the Cards let him go.  They signed him to a 2 year deal for the purpose of letting him retire as a Cardinal (at least that's how it was promoted here in STL).  They overpaid for him last off season, but it was supposedly a tribute to the greatness he brought here.  Now, they dump him for a Single A dude.  WTF?!

I really don't get it.  And I really don't get why SD isn't excited as hell to get this guy.  

One thing you may not know is that he's a great clubhouse guy too.  He's the one that rallied the Cards with a speech in the clubhouse in 06, against the Padres.  You may have hated him for it then, but remember that he's bringing that to the table now.

Unless there is some hidden health reason that the Cards aren't releasing (which I doubt, cause why would KT sign him without a physical)....there must be something else at play here...and if I had to wager, I'd say that Padres fans are gonna be loving this deal next year.

Edmonds was one of my favorite non-Padres players.  He's now one of my favorite Padres.  While Edmonds is not as fast as Cameron, he is far superior at reading and tracking the batted ball.  I have no statistics to support this assertion.  I just watch a lot of baseball.  Edmonds, like Cameron, plays "balls out" on every play.  They are also similar in that they each strike out a heck of a lot more than you would like to see.  If the Padres land Jenkins, put him in right, let Giles play in left where he belongs, and have Edmonds in center, that's a pretty darn good outfield with three guys that are easy to root for.

If the Diamondbacks don't win the NL West next season I'll be shocked...I think we're competing for the Wildcard.

Edmonds decline really can't be hidden--but even declining, he has more potential upside, I think, than Cameron.  

Cameron isn't exactly young, and if he has a 'good' season, by his career standards, he's a .250/.350/.450 guy.  Not exactly terrible for a plus defensive CF, but it's hard to say we're taking much of an offensive hit losing him.  And we've all had questions about his defense recently, which has traditionally been his selling point...

Edmonds last few years look pretty similar to those numbers, and his better career years (were he to feel healthy and have even a minor rebound in San Diego) are obviously MUCH better.

A 1 year deal, at around 7 million is great (that's what Cameron made last year).  It's not like he's blocking someone.  Does anyone know what Cameron was asking for?  At any rate, Edmonds will do about the same, maybe better, for less money--maybe a lot less money.

As for "young athletic quick outfielders"---if we had any, we should play them.  But because we don't, Edmonds is great.  It's not like we just gave Juan Pierre 45 million to block a young stud.

Vinny Castilla. Slowly starts losing playing time, left in for defense mostly, until he's benched and we're stuck looking for a center fielder at the trade deadline. But I guess that's all just worst-case-scenario.

Then the Padres outfield will be the envy of the NL!!

About this trade after reading the comments, I think it was a fair trade, Freese is supposed to be a good prospect but he is just in A ball, A LOT can happen between now and IF he makes it to the Majors.

I hope Edmonds has one more year left in him, he is old, there is no doubt about that, but he has been hurt the past few seasons, so hopefuuly he WON'T pull a Vinny Castilla, and can help us, if he still has his skill in CF, that should be enough right there, we all know Cameron is declining there, and I have always enjoyed that uppercut swing lol.

hope you have a rejuvinated year.  After all, we are close to Mexico and there is no test for HGH, hint hint.  

Kidding aside, we are pnly renting him for a year, with the Cards paying part of his salary.  Cameron takes half the season to get going and now he will be starting a month late.  Edmonds is clutch...Cammy was not.

Whatever happened to Brady Clark? When is effigy day at Petco?

http://www.insidestl.com/mckernan/index.php?storyid=433

Apparently a lot of it had to do with the fact that STL wasn't going to guarantee a full time position.  Edmonds didn't like that LaRussa sat him against lefties a lot.

Signing Cameron to > $10-11 million for a year when he misses the first month of the season - and let's not forget he's been a slow starter the past two years to boot - could easily have been a disaster.

If he had just been more like Dimaggio and had coffee and cigarettes between innings he wouldn't be in this mess.  

I say pencil in Edmonds for 6 games a week and see how he does.  We're one aged outfielder away!

Don't forget that Edmonds is a big time metrosexual dude (even rumored to have dabbled in the gaysex).  He frosts his hair. He likes to be tan.

He's gonna love Giles.

PS - I'm not saying Edmonds is gay...he's got a hot girly...but there's been plenty of speculation that he goes both ways.

http://www.insidestl.com/stlnightlife/displayimage.php?album=1624&pos=37

Again, from InsideSTL

my favorite Jim Edmonds moment came during the 2005 season at the new Busch.  We were playing the Dodgers and it was about 110 degrees in center field.

A Dodger fan was sitting in the 4th row of the Left Field bleachers and was razzing Edmonds all game.  We all were telling him to sit down and shut up but he just wouldn't stop.  Finally, in about the 5th inning Edmonds had had enough and he turned around and started walking toward the bleachers and went off on this guy.  He told him that if he thought he was such a man to come down on the field and they could "take care of things".

Of course, we were all going crazy and couldn't believe that Edmonds had #1 actually heard this guy and #2 turned around and started retaliating.  Never one to be over interactive with the fans, it just came as a huge surprise.  Don't ask me why but for some reason that moment just endeared him to me even more.