Tommy Pham signs deal with Mets
The New York Mets recover from the loss of Carlos Correa, filling the power gap in their offensive with a one-year deal done with Tommy Pham
The Mets have spent more than a small fortune this off season picking up the two Holy Grail elements of baseball: pitching and power.
They were dealt a blow with the loss of Carlos Correa to the Minnesota Twins amid concerns over his surgically repaired right ankle. Mets GM Billy Eppler pivoted from middle infield power toward help in the outfield, and has now plugged that gap by signing Tommy Pham.
The deal is for a single year at $6 million and hands the Mets perhaps the final element to a solid-hitting lineup. In Pham, the Mets are getting reliability rather than a bonafide star, and with an .843 OPS against lefties, he will likely be used in a utility role when facing southpaw pitchers.
He has spent time at all three outfield positions and is a solid fixture at any of them, but most recently has been used in left field to great effect. Pham will be 35 years old when the season starts and although his numbers have taken a dip in recent years, he is still one of only 25 active players with more than 100 career home runs and 95 stolen bases.
Last season, he slashed .236/.312/.374 over 144 games for the Reds and Red Sox, but is still a solid bat, hitting double-digit home runs in each of his last five full Major League seasons.
The deal is yet to be confirmed by the Mets, and is pending a physical, which would seem like the merest of formalities under normal circumstances, but in light of the recent experience with Correa, Mets fans may be forgiven for thinking that no deal is ever really done until it is all done.