Orioles Sign Tommy Pham To Minor League Contract

The Orioles have signed veteran outfielder Tommy Pham to a minor league deal, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez (multiple links).  The contract contains an opt-out clause for Pham in early June if he hasn’t already been added to Baltimore’s active roster.  Pham is represented by Republik Sports.

If Pham’s contract is selected and he appears in a game for the O’s, he would become the 24th player (and ninth position player) to suit up for 11 different MLB teams over the course of his career.  Historical noteworthiness aside, Pham’s first priority is just to get his 2026 season on track, as he went hitless over 14 plate appearances and nine games for the Mets earlier this season.

Pham went almost the entire offseason without being signed, as he didn’t land his previous minors deal with the Mets until March 26.  After working out at extended Spring Training and then playing in four A-ball games, New York selected Pham’s contract on April 12, but his lack of production led to a DFA in late April.  Pham then chose to become a free agent after clearing waivers, rather than accepting an outright assignment to the Mets’ Triple-A club.

While reading too much into his 14 PA this season is unfair, Pham has hit only .240/.321/.382 over 2730 PA since Opening Day 2020, which translates to a 96 wRC+.  His only full seasons of above-average offense in that stretch were 2021 (103 wRC+) and 2023 (109 wRC+), and his splits against left-handed pitching are nothing special.

The frequent changes of uniform could be one reason for this inconsistent performance, and Pham has had a habit of streaky play over his entire career.  The 2025 season saw Pham actually stay with one team for the entire season, and he hit .245/.330/.370 over 449 PA for the Pirates.

What Pham still has in the tank at age 38 remains to be seen, but there’s no risk for the Orioles in taking a flier on a minor league signing.  Making New York’s roster guaranteed a $2.25MM salary for Pham in 2026, so the O’s would owe him only the prorated portion of the roughly $1.65MM remaining for any time Pham spends on Baltimore’s 26-man roster (with the Mets on the hook for the rest).

Taylor Ward and Tyler O’Neill are the Orioles’ primary corner outfielders, and like Pham, both are right-handed hitters.  This means that Pham’s paths to his usual positions are pretty much blocked, though O’Neill is struggling badly at the plate, and Pham could be a depth option for the O’s in a broader sense given their other injury woes.

Ryan Mountcastle is on the 60-day IL and Jordan Westburg is gone for the season, leaving Baltimore short two right-handed bats.  In the outfield, Dylan Beavers and Heston Kjerstad (both left-handed hitters) are on the IL though Kjerstad is making progress on a minor league rehab assignment.  The O’s would prefer to keep Samuel Basallo as the regular designated hitter whenever he isn’t spelling Adley Rutschman behind the plate, but since Basallo is a lefty hitter, Pham might be viewed as a possible fill-in DH if the Orioles are facing a left-handed opponent.