The St. Louis Cardinals extended Jim Edmonds' contract through the 2008 season on Friday. He'll make a little more money in 2007 than if the Cardinals picked up his option, but not right away:

The deal pays Edmonds $11 million next season, including $3 million deferred without interest to be paid out from 2010-19. He is due $8 million in 2008.

Three hundred thousand dollars a year for ten years is a nice way to start one's retirement.

It seems his post-season performance made the difference between a buy-out and an extension:

Once into the postseason Edmonds contributed 10 RBIs in 16 games. He contributed two home runs in the team's seven-game win over the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series.

Jocketty said Edmonds' play in October "absolutely" factored into the team's decision to offer the extension. "There were some concerns about how long his (post-concussion) condition would persist," Jocketty said. "As we saw, it's a very difficult thing to get a handle on. Fortunately, Jim was able to be a major factor during the postseason. I don't think we win it without him."

Edmonds, of course, suffered through other injuries besides the concussion. Although the Cardinals are not paying Jim superstar money, it's still a good chunk of change for a player likely to decline and likely to pick up more injuries. It's tough to change gears after a championship, but if the Cardinals owned a young player capable of playing center, this was a good opportunity to make the switch. I assume they'll be looking to do just that in 2009.