Today is Tommy Pham’s 36th birthday, which begs the question: Should the Mets consider bringing him back for a second rodeo in New York?
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Pham signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Mets ahead of the 2023 season. After a slow start to his tenure with the club in which he hit .196/.283/.348 through March and April, Pham began heating up as the summer months rolled around.
He slashed .250/.358/.432 with a 119 wRC+ in May before fully breaking out in June, hitting .349/.387/.640 with a 177 wRC+ and six home runs across 93 plate appearances. Pham would ultimately get shipped off to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Jeremy Rodriguez at the trade deadline, finishing with a slash line of .268/.348/.472 in New York.
Pham closed out the year hitting .241/.304/.415 in 50 regular season games with the D-backs and .279/.297/.475 during 61 postseason at-bats en route to the World Series.
While the Mets appear to be content with Mark Vientos and DJ Stewart handling most of the designated hitter duties this season, there’s still room to add an established hitter in that role who can also hold his own in the outfield if need be.
There are a number of options out there on the open market, but Pham’s experience and success playing in New York may set him apart from the pack if the Mets do in fact look to supplement their roster somewhere down the line and don’t want to break the bank.
