Veteran Outfielder Chose White Sox Over Padres Because of Money

When you've made $35.4 million in your career, you can afford to say the quiet part out loud.

Oct 11, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks Tommy Pham blows champagne during clubhouse / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY

Tommy Pham said the quiet part out loud.

On the day he arrived in his new clubhouse with the Chicago White Sox, the veteran outfielder was asked about the decision that ended his free agency. While he acknowledged he received an offer from the San Diego Padres, Pham said he chose the White Sox for a simple reason: money.

The state income tax in Illinois is calculated at a flat rate of 4.95 percent. California features the country's highest marginal tax rate — 13.3 percent — for its highest-income earners. While the California income tax rate is often acknowledged as a deterrent in private conversations between agents and their clients, Pham is the rare player who acknowledged it out loud.

Pham spent six days on the roster of the Triple-A Charlotte Knights after signing a minor league contract with the White Sox April 16. He went 5 for 17 (.294) with two stolen bases in his brief return to the minors.

"I'm glad to be back in the big leagues," Pham said.

Now that he's in the big leagues, Pham can make $3 million in base salary and earn another $1.5 million in possible performance bonuses.

While it's unknown where the Padres' final offer stood in comparison, ostensibly it was competitive enough to make Pham contemplate the choice until he (or his agent) calculated the after-tax salary.

Pham, 36, began last season with the New York Mets and ended it with Arizona Diamondbacks, helping them make a surprise run to the World Series. Overall, Pham slashed .256/.328/.446 with 16 home runs and 22 steals in 129 games last season.

In the postseason, Pham hit .429 against the Dodgers in the National League Division Series and .421 with three doubles and a homer against the Rangers in the World Series.

Pham is a career .259 hitter, with 130 home runs and 431 RBIs. He debuted in 2014 with the St. Louis Cardinals and has also played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Padres (2020-21), Cincinnati Reds, and Boston Red Sox in his career.