Veteran outfielder Tommy Pham has reached a minor-league agreement with the Chicago White Sox, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. The deal is worth $3.5 million with $1.5 million in incentives. Pham must be called up and added to the active MLB roster by April 25, or he can request his release. He'll also receive a $500,000 assignment bonus if traded.
The minor-league designation is necessary because Pham is out of options, meaning he must first pass through waivers to go to the minors so he can get up to speed at the plate. This way, Pham can shake off the rust that comes with signing weeks into the season on the minor-league side without any complicated roster machinations. Waivers are not necessary now.
Pham, 36, had his most productive season in years in 2023. He hit .256/.328/.446 (111 OPS+) with 16 home runs and 68 RBI in 129 games split between the New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks. His contributions were worth an estimated 1.5 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball-Reference's calculations.
CBS Sports ranked Pham as the 34th-best free agent available entering the offseason. Here's what we wrote at the time:
Two things are certain about Pham: He's going to hit the ball hard, and he's going to wear out the middle of the field. Nearly half his batted balls last season clocked in at 95 mph or faster, and more than 40% of them were aimed straight ahead. That combination resulted in Pham's best OPS+ since 2019, when he was a member of the Rays. He's played for five teams during the interim years, suggesting that if there's a third thing for sure about him it's that he's going to continue changing clubhouses.
The White Sox are currently without outfielders Luis Robert Jr. and Eloy Jiménez, as well as infielder Yoán Moncada. Pham should give their lineup a much-needed boost.
The White Sox are 2-14 following Monday's loss to the Kansas City Royals. They have been shut out six times in 16 games. As such, it's probably fair to think of Pham as a candidate to change teams ahead of the trade deadline -- provided, anyway, that he can produce over the next few months.
