Tommy Pham got a chance to play against the Pittsburgh Pirates last season just a couple of weeks before the Chicago White Sox traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals. That opportunity came again when made his way to the Kansas City Royals off waivers.
Those six games against the Pirates stuck with Pham during free agency this offseason.
And after the Pirates showed interest in the soon-to-be 37-year-old outfielder for a while, the two sides agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal Sunday.
“I had a few options. I liked Pittsburgh the most,” Pham told reporters Monday as the Pirates held their first full-squad workout of spring training, per Pittsburgh Post-Gazette video. “And from playing against them last year, their pitching staff is ready. A lot of good things to like here.”
Pham is no stranger to joining a new team. The Pirates mark the 11th different franchise he has played for in his career and the ninth since 2021. He’s a career .258 hitter and recorded nine home runs with 39 RBIs and seven stolen bases across 116 games with the White Sox, Cardinals and Royals last season.
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Pham could slide into the starting left field spot for the Pirates alongside Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds in the outfield. He’ll look to contribute to a Pittsburgh team looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015, and the Pirates also hope the rather intense veteran can provide leadership to a young ball club.
“I think the biggest thing you can say about Tommy Pham is he’s a winner,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton told reporters, per the Pittsburgh Tribune’s Kevin Gorman. “He drives not only himself, but he has an expectation for his teammates to win. That was important to put in our clubhouse.”
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Featured image via Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images