Tommy Pham is a potential solution to one smallish NY Mets lineup question

Rather than wave the flag and wait for Mike Tauchman to get healthy, the New York Mets made a last-second free agent signing by bringing in veteran outfielder Tommy Pham on a minor league deal. He’ll make $2.25 million at a pro-rated amount if he’s able to crack the roster with up to $3.1 million in incentives. It comes with an April 25th opt-out, giving both sides a month to figure out if he’s a fit or not.

It’ll take at least a few weeks before the Mets even consider adding Pham to the roster as an obvious replacement for Jared Young. No spring training at-bats, he’ll use his time in Triple-A to build up for a possible promotion.

Where does Pham fit in? It’s pretty obvious. If there’s one thing we will wonder about the Mets it’s how they might go about naming a starting right fielder versus a tough left-handed pitcher. They can throw Carson Benge to the wolves or ask Brett Baty to deliver. They can play the percentages and not real stats by naming Tyrone Taylor the starter. Or maybe it’s Pham’s time to shine.

Tommy Pham can have a limited role on the Mets, not much different from his intended one in 2023

Pham coming back to the Mets caught a lot of people off guard because of his comments in late 2023 about the team’s position players being the “least hard working” group he has encountered. He didn’t name names but with major turnover to the roster since, it’s hard to imagine there’s any bad blood that’ll brew.

The Mets signed Pham to a major league contract back then to be a fourth outfielder and right-handed DH partner to Daniel Vogelbach. He ended up with 47 starts in left field, 5 in center field, and another 12 at DH. Right field is where he’d of most use even after a year in 2025 where he was a Gold Glove finalist as a left fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pham feels like insurance for just about every outfielder on the major league roster right now. Obviously a candidate to take over right field if Benge isn’t the player we want him to be, he’s also someone who might slide in for DH at-bats or even give them a better offensive outlook in center field than Taylor ever would. The Mets have been realistic about their outfield with a ton of depth from spring training hero Cristian Pache to the unknown of what MJ Melendez may have left.

Tauchman is expected to be out for 6 weeks which can give the Mets a chance to use Pham in the majors and make a decision shortly after. It won’t be as easy as lefty versus righty. The health of others will play a big role. So will those specific abilities Pham and Tauchman can add off the bench in terms of defense, speed, and patience at the plate.

Pham has been here before. On April 16, 2024, he signed with the Chicago White Sox and reported to the minors for 7 games before making his debut in the majors on April 26. Known as a hard-worker and one who keeps in shape, it’s fair to believe he can do it again in another ten days. Will the Mets need him, though?

Although they don’t have a lefty starter, the Los Angeles Dodgers have four southpaws in their bullpen. That series begins April 13. If not then, a debut against the Chicago Cubs in the following series against Matthew Boyd or Shota Imanaga seems plausible.