Mets bringing back Tommy Pham on Minors deal (source)
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The Mets are bringing a familiar face back as outfield depth, agreeing with veteran Tommy Pham on a Minor League deal, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on Wednesday. The team has not confirmed the deal.
Pham’s agreement with the Mets will pay him $2.25 million if he reaches the Majors, per Feinsand. With incentives, the deal can get to $3.1 million, and it contains an April 25 opt-out.
Pham should provide an experienced outfield option after Mike Tauchman tore the meniscus in left knee at the end of Spring Training. He previously played 79 games for the Mets in 2023, posting an .820 OPS with 10 home runs before being flipped to Arizona at the Trade Deadline.
Pham is heading into his age-38 season and his performance at the plate -- on the surface -- doesn’t scream run production, but there are some reasons to believe the veteran outfielder could be a net positive in 2026.
Overall, Pham hit .245/.330/.370 with 10 home runs for the Pirates during the 2025 season. But if you look under the hood, there are encouraging signs. Pham’s expected batting average was 13 points higher and his expected slugging percentage was 40 points higher, indicating he was a bit unlucky based on the quality of contact.
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Pham’s hard-hit rate (47.2%) was actually significantly higher than it was in 2024 (42.7%), and ranked in the 76th percentile among qualified hitters. His plate discipline was good -- his 19.9% chase rate was among the top 5 percent in the game, his strikeout rate (20.9%) was his lowest since 2019, and his walk rate (11.1%, 81st percentile) was his highest since ’21.
Defensively, Pham’s range in the outfield isn’t great (-3 Outs Above Average, per Statcast last season) but he did finish with +5 defensive runs saved in left field for Pittsburgh.
Pham also brings significant postseason experience to the table, and he’s been successful during the playoffs. In 37 career postseason games, he has a .315/.331/.492 slash line with six homers. His most recent playoff series was with the Royals in the 2024 American League Division Series, in which he hit .455 (5-for-11) against the Yankees.