Tommy Pham

Pham was dealt from the Reds to the Red Sox at the trade deadline, and he hit free agency after Boston declined his mutual option for 2023. The veteran outfielder had an 89 wRC+, which is the worst production for the full season of his big-league career. His 26.8 percent strikeout rate was his highest since 2016, and his 9.2 percent walk rate was also the worst of his career. Pham had 17 home runs and 63 RBI, but he failed to reach double-digit steals for the first full season since 2016. Pham returns to free agency coming off a poor campaign and entering his age-35 season, so his options on the open market could be limited for 2023.

Pham was slow out of the gate, hitting just .189/.335/.276 after his first 46 games. In his next 46 contests, Pham slashed .333/.421/.548. He cratered with a .162/.267/.307 line the rest of the way. It got to the point Pham lost his starting job as he was a pinch hitter or did not play in 15 of his final 30 games. Pham's plate skills matched career levels, but he hit more flyballs with a lower exit velocity than normal. This is not a good combo, especially in Petco Park. Pham also hit fewer line drives and dropped to 69th percentile sprint speed, all dampening his BABIP. His defense also continued to slide. Entering his age-34 season, Pham may rebound, but chances are his skills are in the decline stage. He may find work as a regular, but chances are Pham will fill the righthanded portion of a platoon or serve as a reserve fly-chaser. However, his ability to collect some steals keeps him fantasy relevant.

San Diego had high hopes that Pham could help amp up its emerging offense when he was acquired in a trade with the Rays last December. Though the Padres did indeed blossom offensively, Pham had little to do with the transformation as a hand injury limited him to 31 games. When he did play, the veteran struggled to make an impact, slashing .211/.312/.312 and managing only three home runs in 125 PA. Pham's .266 xBA and .457 xSLG suggest he could be due for a bounce-back, as does his impressive 92.9 mph average exit velocity. However, he'll have to hit the ball in the air more often to take advantage of the hard contact -- his 62.2 GB% last season was fifth-highest among hitters with at least 100 PA. Pham's speed and power potential make him an intriguing fantasy target, though offseason wrist surgery adds more uncertainty about his ability to rebound.

For the second time in three seasons, Pham joined the elusive 20-20 club, one of only nine batters to achieve the feat in 2019. Pham may never again match 2017's career-best campaign, but it's looking like he is less of an injury concern than when he first hit the scene. Pham's playing time has steadily increased every year, topping out at 145 games and 654 plate appearances last season. Even so, it's best to consider that the best-case scenario and plan on an IL stint or two. Pham's average exit velocity is 82nd percentile but he remains an extreme groundball hitter, capping his power, and he's now in a slightly worse park for right-handed power following a December trade to San Diego. His batted-ball profile usually yields a high BABIP (career .339), but last year he hit into some misfortune with a .316 mark. Fortunately, a career-low 18.8 K% helped compensate. He should hit high atop the Padres' order.

Pham began the 2018 season where the 2017 season left off, hitting .358 in April. He proceeded to hit .197 over the next two months while playing through a troublesome groin strain that was not serious enough to put him on the disabled list. The struggles led to frustrations on his part and he got into terrible habits at the plate which led to expanding his strike zone to chase pitches he could not do much with. Pham was still stinging balls in the zone, and Tampa Bay noticed that and made the surprising acquisition of Pham at the trade deadline. Pham had the fifth-highest wOBA in baseball over the final two months of the season, trailing only Christian Yelich, Mike Trout, Mookie Betts and Justin Turner. The talent is there for Pham to be a top-50 player, but the lack of a health track record should prevent you from overreaching for what was a phenomenal final two months of hitting after the trade.

Pham pulled a breakout season at age 29, and he and his agent are likely the only two people who saw it coming. A look at his minor-league numbers shows a guy who moved up the system at a very slow pace, hit for power just one year, stole bases in a few seasons but only hit for average here and there. He saw limited time in 2014 at the big-league level and then spent 2016 and 2017 on the short side of a platoon. Pham was finally given an opportunity to play regularly for the Cardinals last season and he thrived, hitting both righties (.310/.411/.511) and lefties (.292/.419/.552) while walking at a high rate (13.4 percent). He was also just as good in the second half as he was in the first half. Don't expect a 20-20 repeat, but Pham should be able to produce enough across the board to be worthwhile in even 10-team mixed leagues.

Following an oblique injury, Pham spent much of the season's first half at Triple-A Memphis before returning to the big club. Then, following the All-Star break, he struggled even further and hit to the tune of .219/.321/.421. When healthy, Pham showed neither the ability to be a reliable everyday player nor any semblance of plate discipline. He made contact on just 66.1 percent of his swings and struck out in nearly 40 percent of his plate appearances. Pham was also helpless against left-handed pitchers, who held the right-handed bat to a .206 batting average. He has an interesting combination of power and speed that could be useful to fantasy owners if he was ever given the strong side of an outfield platoon for a full season, but that does not seem likely in St. Louis after Dexter Fowler was signed to be the everyday center fielder going forward.

Pham turns 28 prior to the 2016 season but he finally got his first extended look at the major league level in the second half of 2015 and delivered nicely for the Cardinals and his fantasy owners alike, slashing .268/.347/.477. He also recorded 17 XBH, five of them triples, scoring 28 runs and swiping two bases. Pham provided solid defense in center field for the Cardinals and could be the team's top defensive reserve outfielder.

At age 26, Pham is a little too old to still be considered a prospect, but the outfielder hit well enough for Triple-A Memphis to earn a September callup to the Cardinals. He only made six appearances and received just two at-bats, striking out in both. It's extremely unlikely that Pham ever develops into a major league regular but it's certainly possible that he could carve out a role similar to the one Shane Robinson played in 2014; getting a few starts a month, but primarily used as a bat or glove off the bench. It's also just as likely that Pham could end up a career minor leaguer. Even though he hit well in 2014, his career slash line is a much less pleasant .253/.336/.408.