5 Mets players who may not be on the roster by the end of the 2023 season

4) Mets outfielder Tommy Pham

The Mets signed Tommy Pham this offseason looking for a right-handed hitter who could cover the outfield and hit well against lefties in search of a DH plate. Pham brings together the skills to cover both areas of need.

Pham seems a good fit for the Mets due to his track record against lefties with a .276/.392/.450 line. However, he also has a weakness that has been increasing in his career.

He has shown worse plate discipline skills by increasing his strikeouts and decreasing his ability to get on base via walks. Last year, his strikeout percentage was the highest of his career since 2016.

On the other hand, his defense is not the best, positioning himself as one of the worst LF in outs above average which shows how many outs a player has saved in a range-based metric of skill. Indeed, this indicator does not help when being considered to cover the outfield.

Likewise, Pham is a player recognized for having a strong character and temperament. He was in the eye of the hurricane in an incident where he punched Joc Pederson for an inconvenience in a fantasy football league. This type of behavior could create problems in the clubhouse that would not help the case of Pham's playing time or his tenure with the team.

Pham would have to respond with good production from his bat, especially against lefties, to stay with the Mets throughout 2023 and help the team in the playoff run. If Pham starts to slow down coupled with his defensive and demeanor issues, he could be a trade candidate by this year's deadline.

The return of a Pham trade would have to be with a team in competition since he is a free agent at the end of 2023. This would limit the value a bit, but it would help to get some depth and generate a space that could be filled with some new acquisition or a prospect from the team farm.