Veteran OF Pham has deal with White Sox

April 17th, 2024

The White Sox and veteran outfielder have an agreement on a Minor League deal.

The deal is expected to be worth $3 million and could include another $1.5 million in performance bonuses, a source told MLB.com's Juan Toribio.

Pham, 36, began last season with the Mets and ended it with D-backs, whom he helped make a surprise run all the way to the World Series. Overall, he slashed .256/.328/.446 with 16 home runs and 22 steals in 129 games. He was also very productive in the postseason for Arizona, hitting .429 against the Dodgers in the National League Division Series and .421 with three doubles and a homer against the Rangers in the Fall Classic.

Pham made his MLB debut with the Cardinals in 2014, and he’s also had stints with the Rays, Padres, Reds and Red Sox.

The White Sox have been hit hard by injuries right out of the gate this season, with outfielder Luis Robert Jr. and third baseman Yoán Moncada currently sidelined. It’s one of the reasons the South Siders are off to a 2-13 start.

Though the reported agreement is on a Minor League contract, Pham is expected to be called up as soon as he’s had enough at-bats after missing Spring Training.

"He’s getting down there now, he’s going to get himself ready to go," said White Sox manager Pedro Grifol. "We’ll see where he’s at. He obviously has a track record in this game and he’s a really good hitter, has ability to control the strike zone. Look at his numbers. He has a pretty good on-base, he has some power, he’s versatile out there. He’s got an edge to him that I really like. But we’ll see. We know he’s been working. He has to get himself ready."