MLB outfielder Tommy Pham agreed, on Wednesday, with the New York Mets on a one-year, $6 million contract according to several sources.
The veteran will be 35 when Opening Day rolls around, but still has things to offer an MLB team.
There are some character and attitude concerns with Pham, as he has had some episodes with teammates in the past.
We still haven’t forgotten how Pham infamously slapped Joc Pederson over a fantasy football issue, for example.
But a Mets insider explained that the Mets did some research, asked some people here and there, and came away feeling good about a potential deal.
“The Mets did their diligence on his clubhouse presence, his makeup, and they came away liking what they heard,” SNY Mets tweeted, quoting insider Andy Martino.
"The Mets did their diligence on his clubhouse presence, his makeup, and they came away liking what they heard"@martinonyc on the Mets' deal with Tommy Pham and what it means for their DH situation: https://t.co/xK9gKvFd3b pic.twitter.com/mEtqygbR5O
— SNY (@SNYtv) January 18, 2023
On the field, Pham did not have the best season in 2022.
Between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox, the outfielder hit .236 with 89 runs scored, 17 home runs, 63 RBI, eight stolen bases, and a .686 OPS.
His peak came between 2017 and 2019, when he was a perennial 20-20 candidate and accumulated 65 home runs and 65 stolen bases with solid rate stats.
These days, he is closer to fourth outfielder than reliable starter, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t be productive.
In fact, he is a very useful fourth outfielder or platoon hitter.
That’s probably the role he will have with the Mets, since they have Starling Marte, Brandon Nimmo, and Mark Canha.
He will probably share time with Canha and designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach, and represents insurance should Marte have any injury-related concerns.
All things considered, it was a solid signing by the Mets at this stage of the offseason.
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