Tommy Pham

Position: OF/DH, B/T: R/R

Age: 35 (03/08/1988)

2023 Traditional Stats: 129 G, 481 PA, .256/.328/.446/.774, 16 HR, 68 RBI, 27 2B, 47 BB, 22 SB

2023 Advanced Stats: 110 wRC+, 22% SO%, 9.8% BB%, .300 BABIP, .332 xwOBA, 1.8 fWAR, 1.5 bWAR

RUNDOWN

The St. Louis Cardinals selected Tommy Pham in the 16th round of the 2006 MLB Draft and spent the past eight seasons playing for the Cardinals, Rays, Padres, Reds, Red Sox, Mets and Diamondbacks. While Pham hasn’t had the most consistent track record when it comes to hitting, when he gets hot, he stays hot in a season.

His best season came in 2017 with the Cardinals when he hit .306/.411/.520/.931 and finished eleventh in voting for NL MVP. He followed that up with a down year in 2018 but a strong campaign in 2019 with the Rays, where his strikeout rate hit a career low at 18.8%.

However, as Pham’s career continued, he began to play less due to injury and a decrease in production at the plate. He was diagnosed with keratoconus, an eye condition that causes thinning of the cornea and vision loss, in 2008 and has had surgeries to correct it. In addition, Pham has toyed around with different contacts, finding one in 2022 with the Mets that improved his vision at the plate and in the field.

In 2021 with Boston and Cincinnati, Pham’s combined K% was 26.9%. In 2023, that dropped to 22.0%. While he’s played all positions in the outfield, he’s best suited for the corner positions these days. According to Statcast, Pham’s arm value ranks in the 75th percentile, and his arm strength ranks in the 69th percentile.

While Pham spent the majority of his time in the outfield in 2023, he would make a good candidate as a designated hitter. Against right-handed pitchers, he went .262/.332/.436/.768 and hit seven home runs while driving in 46. Opposite southpaws, Pham hit .238/.317/.447/.763, clubbed nine home runs and drove in 35 runners.

Pham finished his 2023 campaign strong with the Diamondbacks, having a phenomenal postseason after posting a final line of .256/.328/.446 with a 110 wRC+. While he doesn’t have the same defensive prowess he once had early in his career, he’s still a threat at the plate and can play a competent outfield while making highlight-reel plays.

CONTRACT

While teams might be waiting for dominos like Cody Bellinger and Teoscar Hernandez to sign before filling in bench roles, Pham is an underrated grab. The Mets found that out when they signed him last offseason on a one-year, $6 million deal.

Spotrac calculates Pham’s current market value at around $8.3 million per year and sees him netting a two-year deal worth $16 million. While the value seems right after Pham proved himself in 2023, a one-year deal is still more likely given his age and track record.

RECOMMENDATION

A reunion with Pham is possible but seems dicey. After all, Pham went on record multiple times, speaking critically about his time in New York. While some weren’t surprised about the comments, others might take offense to it and see it as a distraction.

Pham found a groove in New York, especially after becoming an everyday player. In a world where the Mets re-signed him, a one-year deal would allow Pham to act as a transition player to give way for younger players in the minors. If the Mets aren’t in it come summer and Pham has another incredible season, they can flip him again.