The Philadelphia Phillies are adding some outfield depth, and they’re doing it with a familiar name. Tommy Pham has agreed to a minor league contract with the club, per ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. The deal includes a July 25 opt-out clause, so there’s a built-in deadline for both sides to figure out if this is going anywhere.
Pham, 38, has bounced around a bit this season. He started the year with the Pittsburgh Pirates, then caught on with the New York Mets early in 2025. That stint lasted all of nine big league games before he was designated for assignment and elected free agency. He later signed with the Baltimore Orioles but never got into an MLB game with them before being released. Now he’s headed to Philadelphia.
What Pham brings to the table
Say what you want about Pham’s recent travels, but the guy has a track record. He’s had some legitimately big seasons at the major league level. He’s not the same player who hit 23 homers for the Rays back in 2019 or posted a .900 OPS in 2021, but he’s still a professional at-bat. At minimum, he gives the Phillies a right-handed bat with some pop and a guy who’s been through the grind.
The Phillies offense has been uneven this season. Outside of Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Brandon Marsh, the production has been spotty. They could use another outfield option, especially with the trade deadline still a ways off. Whether Pham actually gets a call-up before his opt-out date is the open question. Nothing is guaranteed here.
Philly’s position in the NL East
The Phillies are 46-36 and sitting four games back of the Braves in the NL East. That’s a notable recovery after they trailed Atlanta by a decent margin earlier in the season. Coincidentally, they’re currently playing Pham’s old team, the Mets, which makes the timing of this signing a little interesting.
It’s a low-risk move for a team that needs to squeeze whatever it can out of its roster depth. If Pham shows something in Triple-A, maybe he gets a look. If not, the opt-out takes care of itself. Either way, the Phillies are poking around for help, and Pham is still chasing at-bats.
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