Tommy Edman's performance at shortstop is breath of fresh air for Dodgers fans after Mookie Betts

When the Dodgers closed their three-way deal with the White Sox and Cardinals for Michael Kopech and Tommy Edman, they got a brand new closer in Kopech and a Gold Glove utility man in Edman, who'd reportedly been a target for the Dodgers for years. And all they really had to give up for both of them in the end was Miguel Vargas, who was seen having the worst time of his life in Chicago in an already much-meme'd moment.

Edman made his Dodgers debut on Monday, after successfully rehabbing from a wrist sprain he sustained before the season started with the Cardinals. He got his first hit in Dodger blue on the night of his debut, a single in the bottom of the seventh, and started in center field, where LA plans to keep him for most of his starts.

However, the next day, he moved to shortstop, got his first extra-base hit of the year, and made a fantastic leaping grab in the top of the fifth while recovering to throw the runner out at first.

While it may be a bit like beating a dead horse at this point, it made us all the more grateful that Mookie Betts is no longer playing shortstop.

Tommy Edman's fantastic play in his shortstop debut for Dodgers was a relief after Mookie Betts' tenure

It was ridiculous for the Dodgers to stay on the Mookie Betts shortstop train as long as they did, even after they acquired Edman, who was quite literally the best defensive player in baseball in 2022 when he put up +20 OAA across second, shortstop, and third base.

Thankfully, they came to their senses and sent Betts back to the outfield while Edman completed his rehab. It's already worked out for Betts there, too; he made a great diving catch of his own on Aug. 17 to take away a hit from Masyn Winn. Edman is a Gold Glove infielder, Betts is a Gold Glove outfielder. One plus one equals two.

Consider this a final postmortem on Mookie Betts' time at shortstop. We have nothing to complain about anymore, and everyone is better off for it. Edman has already started producing at the plate and has gone straight back to making flashy plays despite having missed the first four and a half months of the season. Even if the Dodgers will mostly play Edman in center, the real point here is that they're finally using the experienced, qualified shortstops they have on their roster. It's about time.