Philadelphia Phillies fans are desperate for the club to add a quality right-handed bat to an outfield mix that desperately needs one. They’ll still need to make a substantive move by the time the trade deadline rolls around, but they brought in a nice depth piece on Saturday when they signed 13-year veteran Tommy Pham to a minor league deal.
Pham got his start with the Cardinals way back in 2014, and made a name for himself as a power/speed threat with a 23-homer, 25-steal 2017 campaign. He was dealt to the Rays the following season and that kicked off a nomadic period in his career that saw him suit up for 10 different clubs at the big league level. All told, the 38-year-old owns a rock solid .256/.344/.421 slash line across 4,842 lifetime plate appearances, having mashed 149 homers and swiped 131 bags.
Now that Pham is in his twilight years, he’s not nearly the same caliber of player he was at his peak, but he was able to remain relatively productive as recently as last season, wherein he slashed .245/.330/.370 in 120 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He didn’t have much luck in a nine-game cup of coffee with the New York Mets this season, going hitless in 14 trips to the plate.
Tommy Pham may be old, but he can still help the Phillies
Philadelphia could be the perfect landing spot for a seasoned veteran like Pham, seeing as there isn’t much blocking his path to major league playing time. The Phillies are currently employing an outfield group of future All-Star Brandon Marsh in left field with rookies Justin Crawford in center and Gabriel Rincones Jr. in right. Hot-hitting trade acquisition Derek Hill has been stealing playing time lately as both youngsters have struggled.
Before he can make an impact in the majors, Pham will need to head to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and prove that he still has something left in the tank. In 22 games split between the Mets’ and Baltimore Orioles’ systems this year, Pham posted a middling .682 OPS. That’s not the most inspiring body of work, but it’s also a heck of a lot better than he showed in the Big Apple early on.
Pham isn’t going to be the outfield savior that Phillies fans would love to see, but he can play a pivotal role over the summer for a team that could use some pretty niche improvements. Considering the fact that the team’s best hitters, Marsh, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, all bat left-handed, bringing in a right-handed stick that can mash southpaws would add a bit of much-needed balance to the lineup.
To wit, Pham’s career .796 OPS against lefties points to an ability to fill just such a role. He’s not going to provide much value in the field or on the basepaths in his old age, but if Pham can simply fill a short-side platoon role until the club brings in a more impactful bat at the trade deadline, he’ll be the hero the Phillies need.
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