The Phillies have reached a minor league agreement with outfielder Tommy Pham, reports Jorge Castillo of ESPN. The veteran was most recently in the Orioles organization. Castillo adds that Pham can opt out of the deal on July 25.
Pham is now with his third club in three months. He inked a minor league deal with the Mets shortly before Opening Day. The 38-year-old spent two weeks with the big-league team in mid-April. He went 0-for-13 and was designated for assignment before the end of the month. Pham latched on with the Orioles midway through May. He was granted his release after 16 games at Triple-A.
Baltimore didn’t seem like it could provide a path to a roster spot for Pham. The Orioles can barely find playing time for Tyler O’Neill, a right-handed corner outfielder in a similar mold. Pham was a long shot to reach the majors with the organization. He’ll now have about a month to find a way onto Philadelphia’s roster. There’s a much clearer route with the Phillies, who are down Adolis Garcia for multiple months and Johan Rojas for the season.
It was four teams ago (and those are just the MLB stints), but Pham had a stretch as an above-average bat as recently as 2024. He opened the campaign with 297 plate appearances of a 104 wRC+ with the White Sox. The veteran struggled in subsequent stints with the Cardinals and Royals to close the season. Pham earned semi-regular playing time with the Pirates last year. He posted a .700 OPS over 120 games, which wasn’t good enough to earn a big-league deal over the winter.
The Phillies have already made a move to address their outfield depth, adding Derek Hill in a small trade with the White Sox. Hill has quickly endeared himself to his new team, hitting .357 with a pair of ninth-inning home runs, including a game-winner. Philadelphia is reportedly eyeing the trade market for more outfield help.
Prospect Gabriel Rincones Jr. has earned the majority of the reps in right field recently. He’s off to a slow start in his first taste of the majors, going 4-for-30 in a small nine-game sample. Brandon Marsh is at his best in left field, but he has experience in center and right, so the club has some flexibility there. Pham doesn’t have the chops to play center field at this stage of his career, but he was worth 5 Defensive Runs Saved in left field last season. The ability to play the field is important on a team that has a locked-in DH in Kyle Schwarber.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
