Cardinals Slugger Reportedly Could Be Released Before Postseason Eligibility Deadline

St. Louis might be parting ways with the veteran soon

Jul 30, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pinch hitter Tommy Pham (29) celebrates with Matt Carpenter (13) after hitting a grand slam home run against the Texas Rangers during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals would have to pull off an improbable winning streak to regain serious playoff contention but the club isn't ready to quit yet.

This Sunday is the postseason eligibility deadline and with the Cardinals still feeling like they can make the playoffs, there's a good chance St. Louis won't make any major roster moves before Sept. 1.

However, if the Cardinals determine that the playoffs are simply out of reach for this season, there's a solid chance St. Louis part ways with a veteran outfielder.

"As of Wednesday afternoon, the Cardinals had no plans to make (Tommy) Pham available on waivers," The Athletic's Katie Woo reported Thursday. "Wednesday’s win would only help enforce that plan. The organization still views itself as a contending team, even if the standings do not. But if the team continues to slide, reality might force the front office to make a different decision, as uncharacteristic as said decision may be."

Pham is batting .206 with six extra-base hits including two home runs, 12 RBIs and a .654 OPS since rejoining the Cardinals at the summer's trade deadline.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak brought in the 36-year-old to help the lineup improve against left-handed pitching but with St. Louis' playoff hopes fading, keeping Pham around for the rest of the season doesn't make much sense.

The journeyman would be a solid pick-up for any team looking to add veteran leadership with postseason experience before heading into October.

Pham is owed $850,000 for 2024, so the Cardinals wouldn't save much by releasing him but doing so would open a roster spot for a rising star to make his much-deserved debut -- giving St. Louis the opportunity to see how the young slugger performs at the next level before possibly promoting him next year.

Even though he will be missed, releasing Pham before Sunday would make perfect sense, given the Cardinals' odds of making the playoffs at this point in the season.

More MLB: Cardinals Superstar Humbly Credits Youngsters For His Recent Uptick In Performance