NEW YORK — The Mets’ search for a fourth outfielder culminated Wednesday morning when they agreed a one-year, $6 million contract with veteran Tommy Pham, a source told MLB.com. The club have not confirmed the deal, which is still subject to a physical examination.
Pham, who turns 35 in March, offers a mix of power and speed to complement starting outfielders Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte. Not only is Pham one of 25 active players with at least 100 career home runs and 95 stolen bases, but he has hit double-digit home runs in each of the last five full major league seasons.
The last of Pham’s two 20-20 seasons came in 2019 when he hit 21 homers and stole 25 bases for Tampa Bay. Pham also posted strong underlying metrics last season in a declining year, ranking in the 93rd percentile of players in terms of average exit speed, according to Statcast.
Still, Pham’s production took a hit in his early to mid 30’s. He has cut just .236/.312/.374 in 144 games for the Reds and Red Sox in 2022 and owns a .696 OPS over the past three seasons after posting .277/.373/.472 slash from 2014. 19 with the cardinals and rays.
The Mets, who were linked with Andrew McCutchen and Adam Duvall before signing Pham, don’t need him as a star but as a reliable replacement for their three starting fielders. A right-hander with a career .843 OPS against lefties, Pham estimates he spends the majority of his playing time playing southpaws on the mound. Athletic enough to play all three outfield positions, Pham has been primarily a left fielder in recent years and would lose Canha in that position for some time.
Signing Pham likely ends the Mets’ hunt for significant offensive help. The team recently lost Carlos Correa to the Twins after agreeing on a 12-year mega deal with the All-Star shortstop, prompting general manager Billy Eppler to turn to outfield support. If the Mets make any additional moves before spring training begins, they will likely be in the bullpen, which could still use a reinforcement.