Chicago White Sox's Tommy Pham at bat against the Kansas City Royals during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
In trading for Tommy Pham from the White Sox on Monday, the Cardinals can address some of their shortcomings in the outfield and against left-handed pitchers.
The team acquired Pham and starting pitcher Erick Fedde, both Las Vegas natives, from the White Sox while sending utility player Tommy Edman and minor league right-hander Oliver Gonzalez to the Dodgers.
Pham, a 36-year-old veteran journeyman who came up with St. Louis, has played in 31 career postseason games and he isn't afraid to hold himself and teammates accountable.
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Here are five things to know about Pham.
Pham brings no-nonsense intensity
Pham is known as one of the most intense players in baseball. He'll let teammates, coaches and opponents know how he feels.
The Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold detailed the intensity Pham brought to the Diamondbacks last season.
Earlier this season, he was at the center of a melee between the White Sox and the Brewers.
“So, I’ll never start anything, but I’ll be prepared to finish it,†Pham said, according to , also adding some more colorful comments.
That intensity is ever-present. He keeps himself and his teammates accountable.
“He does have an edge to him that many don’t have,†White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said last month, . “I love that part of the game about him because it’s not just an edge in situations like that. That edge is in the cage, that edge is (while going over scouting) reports when he’s reading them and preparing for a game. That edge is in meetings when he’s saying what he needs to say and holding everybody accountable. That’s not just him in that situation (in Milwaukee). That’s how he is 24/7."
A reunion with his first team
The Cardinals drafted Pham in 2006 but he didn't make his MLB debut until 2014.
Pham struggled with injuries and an eye concern coming up.
He earned MVP votes in 2017, his best year here, when he put up a .931 OPS, ranking in MLB's top 20.
The next year, he expressed displeasure at being called a "fourth outfielder."
“I’m no fourth outfielder,†he told the late Post-Dispatch baseball writer Rick Hummel. “That’s disrespectful. That’s not cool. I work hard at what I do.â€
After he declined a contract extension the previous offseason, the Cardinals dealt Pham to Tampa Bay at the trade deadline in 2018.
Well-traveled since leaving St. Louis
Since departing St. Louis six years ago, Pham has worn a lot of uniforms. The Rays traded him to San Diego in December 2019.
After two years there, he signed as a free agent with Cincinnati then was shipped to Boston partway through his first season in Cincy.
In 2023, he signed with the Mets then was dealt to Arizona on Aug. 1.
He visited the Cardinals in Jupiter, Florida, this past spring in hopes of signing with the team as a free agent, Post-Dispatch columnist Ben Frederickson reported.
Pham eventually signed a minor-league deal with the White Sox in mid-April, a designation that allowed him to get up to speed in the minors before being called up.
Antidote to Cardinals' struggles vs. lefties
As a team, the Cardinals have a .633 on-base plus slugging percentage against left-handers.
Only the Marlins are worse.
Individually, Willson Contreras (1.035), Paul Goldschmidt (.751) and Masyn Winn (.733) are the only Redbird regulars with above-average numbers vs. lefties.
Tommy Pham's .848 OPS vs. left-handers will be second-best on the team and far better than any of the Cardinals' outfielders vs. lefties.
Against lefties, the Cardinals' outfield ranks second-to-last in baseball in weighted runs created, per Fangraphs, and 40% below average.
Scouting report
In 70 games this year, Pham has delivered a .266/.330/.380 slash line.
He's far better vs. left-handed pitchers than vs. righties this year after his numbers last year were just slightly better vs. lefties.
His expected batting average is in the top 15% of baseball even though his hard-hit and barrel rates are a tick below average.
His chase rate is where he shines, 17th-best in baseball.
In Chicago, his value has been limited. Fangraphs rates Pham at 0.2 wins above replacement, while baseball-reference has Pham at minus-0.3.
Advanced metrics paint a picture of defensive decline, but that may be a bit misleading. He's played far more innings in center field this year than he has in recent seasons.
The Cardinals can likely avoid some of his defensive liabilities by keeping him in a corner spot most of the time.
