The San Diego Padres will start their season on March 20 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and, with less than a week to go, are still seeking to add players to their roster. The Padres are in talks with free agent outfielder Tommy Pham, according to USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale.
Pham spent two seasons, 2020 and 2021, playing for the Padres, and it’s possible that they could be getting closer to reuniting on a one-year, $3 million to $4 million deal,
The Padres have had a very eventful offseason. The club traded Juan Soto to the New York Yankees. The Padres added former Yankees Wandy Peralta, through free agency, and Michael King, from the Soto trade. The club also traded for Dylan Cease on March 13 with Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell expected to sign elsewhere. Adding Pham could help solidify the outfield group.
The Chicago White Sox have also shown interest in Pham, should his deal with the Padres not materialize, according to Nightengale.
State of the Padres’ Outfield
Tommy Pham started the 2023 season on the New York Mets. He carried a .268 batting average and a .820 OPS in 79 games with the club. However, the Mets traded him to the eventual National League champions, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Padres traded starting outfielder Trent Grisham to the Yankees as part of the Soto trade. With Grisham and Soto gone Fernando Tatis Jr. is “the only assured starter in the current group,” according to MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell.
The Padres have Jurickson Profar and José Azocar as options in the outfield as well. The team also has younger options in Jackson Merrill, MLB Pipeline’s No. 12 prospect, and Jacob Marsee, Padres’ No. 13 prospect.
Grisham and Soto both made over 150 appearances in the outfield in 2023 so the Padres are looking to replace a lot of defensive availability in one offseason. Profar made 97 appearances in the outfield and Azocar made 47.
Marsee and Merrill have yet to make their major league debuts but have shown promise for the organization. Merrill is slashing .351/.400/.595 across 13 Catus League games. Marsee slashes just .238/.370/.333 in Cactus League games but won Arizona Fall League MVP earlier in the offseason.
Merrill was originally a shortstop but is transitioning to the outfield. Marsee is a true centerfielder. Both men are currently in play to contribute to the Padres outfield in 2024.
Tommy Pham Would Improve the Padres’ Outfield
Pham brings experience to the outfield, which they may lack if Merrill or Marsee earn a starting spot. Pham, 36, has played in the majors for 10 seasons. He has a career .259 batting average and 114 OPS+.
Defensively he can play all three outfield positions and has a career .986 fielding percentage as a pro. Even if Pham does not fit into the Padres’ plans as an everyday player, he could provide valuable depth.
Just last fall, Pham played a big role in the Diamondbacks World Series run. He had an OPS over 1.000 in both the NL Division Series and the World Series.
Pham is projected to earn a two-year, $16 million deal in free agency, according to Spotrac. The Padres are currently trying to get Pham on a cheaper deal than his market value, according to Nightengale.
