With the Phillies recent loss of the up-and-coming Cristian Pache to the 60-day IL, Philadelphia now finds themselves looking for more depth in the outfield. At the moment, it seems they haven’t had to look far as a familiar name may be well on his way to the City of Brotherly Love come Aug. 1.
Phillies Rivals by Day, Trade Partners by Night
The Phillies have been plagued with a lack of outfield support this season due to injury as well as poor fielding performances by certain players (looking at you Schwarber). With this in mind, they’re specifically looking for a right-handed corner outfielder and Tommy Pham fits that description to a T. Pham, now in his 10th year at the pro level, is having one of his best seasons in recent memory. He’s currently slashing .272/.356/.475 with an OPS of .831, nine round-trippers, and 35 RBIs in 75 GP.
He’s also on a one-year/$6 million deal with the Mets which makes him a great rental player for the remainder of the campaign. The added versatile prowess in the outfield also makes him a great replacement for Brandon Marsh or Nick Castellanos when they encounter time off. Not to mention, his addition to the lineup would bolster the team’s overall batting average as they currently sit at .256, good for ninth in the NL.
And, let’s face it, the Mets are already looking to become big sellers at the deadline with rumors pointing towards David Robertson and Mark Canha being available. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander were also two additional names added to the hat but that would bring more effort on the team’s end to rework their contracts and trade clauses. Not an ideal situation to be in if you’re Steve Cohen and the 4th-place Mets.
What’s Holding Them Back
The only thing that could keep both teams from making the trade, aside from the divisional rivalry, is the fact that Pham recently suffered a groin injury. Fortunately, this was only a minor setback and he is expected to be returning to the Mets lineup as soon as tomorrow.
His positioning in the outfield would of course be dependent on Bryce Harper’s eventual return but until then, Pham could see everyday reps. Tie in the fact that he has the ability to prevent runs and push guys across the plate and you’ve got an ideal trade that could workout on both ends. As long as the Mets aren’t looking to exchange a dollar for a quarter and are willing to push this deal through then I see no other reason for either team to hold back.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
