April 13th: The Mets officially selected Pham’s contract today with infielder Ronny Mauricio optioned to Triple-A Syracuse as the corresponding move. Joel Sherman of The New York Post reported earlier that Mauricio would be the corresponding move.
April 12th: The Mets are planning to select the contract of veteran outfielder Tommy Pham, according to a report from Will Sammon of The Athletic. The veteran outfielder is on a minor league deal with the club, so he’ll need to be added to the 40-man roster before he officially joins the club. That shouldn’t be a major obstacle, as the Mets’ 40-man currently stands at 37 players and will move up to 38 upon the addition of Pham. That means only an active roster move will be necessary to make Pham’s addition to the roster official, which could happen as soon as tomorrow given that Sammon writes Pham is expected to meet the team in L.A. for their series against the Dodgers.
The 38-year-old veteran signed a non-roster pact with the Mets on Opening Day. He’s gotten into just four games at the Single-A level since then, but a combination of need at the big league level and Pham’s status as a veteran hitter appear to have combined to give the Mets confidence in bringing him to the majors with only minimal time to get game-ready. He’ll be joining a beleaguered outfield group that recently lost Juan Soto to the injured list due to a calf strain that figures to leave him sidelined for at least another week or two. With Soto out of commission, the Mets have been relying on rookie Carson Benge, infielder Brett Baty, and bench bats like Tyrone Taylor and Jared Young in the outfield corners.
It’s a group that hasn’t inspired confidence so far. Young has hit well so far in a 23 plate appearance sample, but he’s got just 56 MLB games under his belt since making his debut with the Cubs back in 2022. Taylor’s .211/.250/.421 (91 wRC+) slash line this year isn’t exactly encouraging, and he was last an above-average MLB hitter by wRC+ in 2022 as a member of the Brewers. Benge has been heralded as the future of the franchise in the outfield and is a consensus top-20 prospect in the sport, but he’s hitting a paltry .130/.231/.196 (33 wRC+) in 14 games to kick of his MLB career. Baty showed signs of life last year after struggling to hit in the majors for the first few years of his career but currently sports a 60 wRC+ and a 29.4% strikeout rate while playing a mostly unfamiliar position.
All in all, that’s an outfield mix that could clearly use some veteran stability. That’s surely not an insignificant part of why the Mets were generally expected to carry veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman on their Opening Day roster following several successful years in Chicago and a torrid Spring Training, but Tauchman unfortunately underwent meniscus surgery just before Opening Day that will leave him sidelined into May. With Tauchman unable to play, the Mets will instead turn to a player who lacks his recent success but makes up for it with an impressive overall resume. Pham is now set to gear up for his 13th MLB campaign and has appeared in at least 116 games in each of the league’s past eight 162-game seasons. In that time, he’s suited up for ten different clubs and sports a career 111 wRC+ in more than 1200 MLB games.
Despite that history, it’s been a while now since Pham was a consistently above-average MLB player. Since the start of the 2020 season, Pham has slashed .241/.323/384 with a wRC+ of just 96, indicating he’s been 4% worse than the league average MLB hitter in that time. With that said, he’s just a few years removed from an extremely successful stint with the Mets. After signing on with the club for the 2023 season, Pham slashed .268/.348/.472 (124 wRC+) in 79 games for the Mets before being dealt to the eventual NL-champion Diamondbacks at that year’s trade deadline. If Pham can rediscover any of the magic from the last time he suited up for Queens, that would be a huge win for the Mets. Even the roughly league average consistency Pham has become known for in recent years would be a boost for the club, however, and he should get plenty of opportunities now that he’s being recalled to the majors.
Is Benge going down?
If so, I understand the decision though I would have preferred Morabito. Especially considering Pham barely played at AAA and hasn’t exactly tore it up.
Is Ewing going up to AAA soon?
If not, what more does he have to do?
Oops, barely played in A as he was assigned there rather than AAA to get game ready.
metzfan Mauricio probably going down. They need OF help with Soto out.
Ronnie Mauricio is out of options. He will have to pass through waivers, and he won’t make it. He’ll be picked up by another team. So it probably won’t be him.
Maybe work out a trade since the Mets chose to bring him up regardless of being out of options and chance of him sticking with the team the entire year was doubtful at best.
From my understanding Mauricio can be optioned back to triple A this year. This is his last option year.
Right. This is his final option year.
The strip clubs in Syracuse are lame, Tommy needs a fix 🤣
Pham thinks highly of you too.
Actually, because he’s been up for less than 20 days, he doesn’t use an option. I didn’t know that until recently, but I just looked it up and confirmed.
You are completely incorrect: he came into this year with one option remaining. That option is good for the entire year. The team can option him down multiple times during the season and it still counts as only the one option for the purposes of his optionable years.
my comment was in response to Jdt8312.
Pham deserves another shot. Had an excellent second half last year with the pirates.
people should read the article before asking questions
Jeez
He wants to play for a contender!
The Mets are now Pham-i-ly.
Phamtastic pun
Just don’t let him join the Mets fantasy football league.
Great, but is there no Weekend Chat?
Here we go again. DS dumpster diving.
This guy…this is not my kind of guy
Why? Because he doesn’t like people judging one’s reading capabilities based off their complexion?
Lol, what? A. It’s a Seinfeld quote and B. I just don’t like him which is my prerogative. We all have players we don’t like.
No clue what you’re even talking about. I have plenty of players of all complexion and reading capability who are not my favorite. Seek help
I heard he doesn’t take his shoes off in the clubhouse.
it isnt a baseball season if Tommy Pham isnt on some random team
I was hoping the MLBTR report was going to say ‘The Mets today have selected the contract of clubhouse cancer, Tommy Pham.” Players read this site, it would have got a laugh.
Maybe they would laugh if it was true, but it’s not. He’s actually very well respected throughout the league by his former teammates. That’s just another bogus narrative that gets pushed by fans, mainly from the fantasy football incident.
Well, the guy has played for 10 teams in 13 years, so for a well-respected guy he sure seems to find a way to get run out of town a lot.
there’s this thing in baseball, maybe you have heard of it
Trades
Pham has been traded several times to teams that wanted his services
when he left here,he said some things like the mets were not serious enough, or prepared well. or like that. Lindor said it was a wake up call. he took Phams quotes to heart, not mad at him in any way………Well the mets have been real sloppy he might call guys out,who knows? This team could use the old Kangaroo court. Daryl Boston, where art thou?
I understand the selection of Tommy Pham the Mets really need to look at his extensive injury history history too.
Go Tommy! You are the greatest player ever who is blind!!!
You know, that’s not far off. Amazing the guy can play at all, let alone have some success. Here in Pittsburgh, he had a pretty good second half when not coincidentally, someone got him to an eye specialist and readjusted his prescription
I think that he is a good guy and still has something left to help a team in a reserve role.
Mets expected to add Phlim to pair with Pham.
Plus Pham = Minus Who ???
Polanco (& His Achilles) To IL ?
Mauricio To AAA ??
Benge To AAA ???
IF Alvarez To DH, I’d Add A Third C…
GG-Finalist Torrens To C + 2B/SS/CF GG
+ Taylor In OF… Solid Up Middle
Corners 1B/3B/LF/RF & DH Are Offense First
⚾ LGM ⚾
It should be Benge. Mauricio is out of options, and won’t make it through waivers.
As Far As I Know, Mauricio Is In His Last Option YEAR…
Believe We Have Control For 2026…
Nice LHB Vs RHP, BUT How Does Anyone Get Any Playing Time With Current 2B/SS/3B…
Benge Promotion After 1+ Years Of Pro-Ball, Is A GR8 “Story,” But Seems Premature & Unnecessary…
Pham/*Young In LF & Taylor/*Baty In RF
Vientos 1B & Bichette 3B
Alvarez DH/C (esp. If #Polanco To IL)
Add The GG’s… #Lindor, Roberts, Semien & GG Finalist Torrens @ C, 2B, SS & CF
So, We Can Survive Loss Of #Polanco
Add Pham &
Maybe “Tweek” Roster At #12 & #13…
IF I Had #Bruhan & *Melendez I’d Have Added Depth & Experience At All 8 Positions
If You Were Looking For A Straight Roster Swap, For #Mauricio & *Benge…
We Shall See…
⚾ LGM ⚾
Jdt: Mauricio is not out of options. He was optioned down in spring training. If he’d been out of options, they would not have been able to option him, would they?
Once optioned, that option is good for the entire season, they can call him up and send him down multiple times, and it still counts as only the one option.
If you’re referring to the fact that they optioned him for a third season last year, that is true. However, he spent only 18 days in the minors. A player must spend at least 20 days in the minors for the option to count.
I know that now. But some faulty reporting was done in the past because we were all told he was out of options. Something changed, or someone screwed up in their reporting of Mauricio’s status.
By many accounts Pham’s teammates absolutely love him.
In the 2023 World Series his teammate Jace Peterson had only one at bat the entire post-season, but then this happened:
“Pham gave up the chance to become the first player to go 5-for-5 in a World Series game so that his teammate Jace Peterson could have his first at-bat in the World Series. Pham’s decision was a selfless act to support his teammate…”
He’s not every fan’s cup of tea but:
mlb.com/news/tommy-pham-draws-praise-from-royals-f…
x.com/jmjones/status/1818027223607091573?s=46&…
youtube.com/watch?v=1nv1ax4tBLE
I hadn’t read about that before now. Much respect to Pham for that.
He’s a Genius!!! And don’t say his name three times in a row, it acts like a curse!!
Just don’t say his name 3 times while looking in a mirror, then turn out the light.
Explain to me how this Mets team is better off without Nimmo and McNeil.
Maybe Alonso, Nimmo and McNeil weren’t the problem here, their replacements aren’t lighting it up and are hurt already. They should’ve kept those 3 and traded Lindor to SD for Bogaerts, Mason Miller, Piveta and Morejon
That seems reasonable, can’t believe it didn’t happen. Goodness
@ jvent. Yes. Because any fan can just manufacture a trade in their imagination, and both ball clubs are sure to agree that is in both of their best interests.
I was definitely happy to see all three go to the AL. No chance San Diego makes that move though
The Nimmo trade was perplexing. McNeil, however, looked done last year and much of the year before.
@ Jeff K, They did not want to be stuck with the remaining 4 years of Nimmo’s contract. He was set to become a 10-and-5 guy later this season. So it was trade him now or risk being stuck with him for all of it. It was more asset management than baseball. And while no one knows what the soon-expiring CBA will bring, its safe to say that Stearns and Cohen know more aout the owner’s position than we do. And word is that the owners are set to dig in their heels for something that will lead to lower payroll spending.
To be completely fair, Nimmo is in a moe hitter-friendly ballpark. And the season is young – still plenty of time for one of his m,ultiple nagging health issues to reduce his playing time or affect his play.
It’s the same Steve Cohen, David Sterns dog and pony show again this year. Outside of the first game of the season, this team is garbage. The bullpen will be a revolving wheel again this year. And the starting rotation isn’t going to be much better. Out with the old players, in with the new, but the end result will be the same. An also ran team out of the playoffs. This guy Sterns who is supposed to be this great GM, hasn’t shown me anything yet other than the ability to spend money on mediocre players. For this dreck of a team the Wilpons could have stayed the owners. You knew they weren’t going to win, but you kind of accepted you weren’t going to. Mets fans deserve better than what we’re getting from this ownership and the team they have assembled.
You could be in New England where Red Sox Nation has been chanting “sell the team!” Even after Boston took 2 of 3 in St. Louis at the weekend.
Cohen won’t sell the team now that he owns all the surrounding property around Citi Field and was green lighted for a Casino, a soccer field, and of course the obligatory restaurants, and high end shops and boutiques. I think Soto has already soured on playing in Queens and will milk this calf injury for all he can get out of it. My money is on him bolting out of New York for Los Angeles as soon as he can.
I can’t believe they are building on that land, it must be some of the most polluted land in the city.
Mendoza has no control. Bring Kimbrel and Pham in to do his job because the managers too scared to. Pathetic. Rather let these players walk over him and lose his job then actually discipline these millionaires.
I would assume the only active baseball player to be stabbed on two separate occasions. I would verify that on baseball reference, but they don’t include such stats.
I thought the off-season was a dud, and so far it’s showing. The kids, other than McLean, haven’t made a case they belong (Baty, Vientos and Mauricio). Lindor is showing his age and seems confused. It’s only April, but so far the vibes are not good. Getting swept by the A’s at home, a General Dollar team, was embarrassing.
They traded all the guys that held Lindor accountable.
The Swingin’ A’s went 5-1 during their visit to New York. Took 2 of 3 off the Yankees in The Bronx before the weekend sweep in Queens.
Wow we hit rock bottom already? Where’s Jose Iglesias when you really need him?
I mean he was somewhat serviceable up until last year. So long as the Mets don’t expect him to be a big bat, in a pinch he’s not bad.
According to the comments here, it’s time to stock up on popcorn.
Pathetic. Send down Mauricio, bring up Pham. Horrific management. What garbage.
What a shame how the Mets have buried Mauricio. The kid has obvious talent but never gets the chance to play on a regular basis.
It’s a deep insult to replace Ronny and all his potential with a grey beard like Pham.
Thomas Pham equals Tim Anderson JR!
Tommy Pham sucks