The All-Star Game is over. While it was exciting to see so many Philadelphia Phillies at Arlington, the two days off before the second half imply one thing: the focus will quickly shift to the July 30 MLB trade deadline.
In less than two weeks, Philadelphia Phillies fans will have a fair idea of how the team will look for the rest of the season and, hopefully, directly into the National League Division Series.
It is widely known that Phillies head of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Sum Fuld are searching for an outfielder and bullpen depth, with the former being the most immediate necessity. The Phillies’ outfield ranks 28th in MLB, with an OPS of.650.
Tommy Pham, a White Sox outfielder, is receiving interest from the Phillies’ executive office.
The trade deadline headlines have focused on Chicago White Sox centre fielder Luis Robert Jr. as the preferred trade target this summer, but given his high asking price, teams are seeking for cheaper alternatives.
That appears to include the Philadelphia Phillies. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Philadelphia Phillies are interested in veteran outfielder Tommy Pham.
“The Phillies and Royals are thought to have some interest in Pham as they search for an outfielder…” Heyman said on Tuesday.
The 36-year-old isn’t the tooled-up show-stopping superstar that his teammate Robert is, but the Phillies’ front staff prefers a role player than a full-fledged superstar.
Pham joined the White Sox late this season and has appeared in 60 games, including a 10-day trip on the injured list due to a sprained ankle. The Phillies got a close look at Pham last year, when he was a key member of the Arizona Diamondbacks club that defeated Philadelphia in the NLCS.
Pham is in his 11th MLB season, batting.264/.339/.368 with four home runs and five stolen bases in 257 plate appearances with the failing White Sox. He has struggled to find his power stroke at Guaranteed Rate Field this season, despite hitting more fly balls and line drives than previous year. Perhaps additional games at Citizens Bank Park, which is far more hitter-friendly, would help.
On an expiring $2.53 million contract, the right-handed hitter would be an excellent short-term corner outfield rental to fill the need against left-handed pitching, against which he is hitting.260. He hits around the same versus righties.
The trick is that he hammers southpaws. While his overall slugging % is not particularly high, he does slug against lefties.480 and an.863 OPS, which are slightly higher than his career figures.
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