Pirates Create Roster Space for Tommy Pham
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates made some recent roster moves, as they finally added their recent free agent acquisiton.
The Pirates announcd that they officially signed outfielder Tommy Pham to a one-year contract for the upcoming season.
Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Feb. 6 that the Pirates signed him to a one-year, $4 million deal. They also reported that it is a major league deal, with $250,000 in incentives.
We have signed OF Tommy Pham to a one-year contract for the 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/3tT0inDwVn
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) February 16, 2025
Pham is now on the 40-man roster, which meant that the Pirates had to move someone else off of it as it was full prior to his addition.
They chose to place right-handed pitcher Dauri Moreta, who had Tommy John surgery back in March 2024, on the 60-day Injured List. Moreta will come back midseason, according to MLB.com.
RHP Dauri Moreta, recovering from TJ surgery last spring, was transferred to the 60-day IL as corresponding move. The Pirates’ 40-man roster is full. https://t.co/yNVXUmeaUE
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 16, 2025
The Pirates showed interest in Pham, who is now 37 years old, prior to last season, but he would eventually sign a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox.
Pham slashed .266/.330/.380 for the White Sox in 70 games, before they traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals, prior to the trade deadline. Pham slashed .206/.286/.368 in 23 games for the Cardinals, who then designated him for assignment on Aug. 30.
The Kansas City Royals eventually signed him off waivers on Aug. 31, where he hit .228/.250/.337. in 23 games. He also played in their postseason run, with 5 hits in 15 at-bats for a .333 batting average with two RBI.
Pham came up through the Cardinals minor league system, as they took him in the 16th round of the 2006 MLB Draft, with a $325,000 signing bonus, forgoing his college commitment to Cal State Fullerton.
He eventually made it to the MLB on Sept. 7, 2014 and spent the majority next four seasons with the Cardinals, 2015-18.
His best season in the MLB came in 2017, where he slashed .306/.411/.520, with 22 doubles, 23 home runs, 73 RBI, 25 stolen bases, 71 walks to 117 strikeouts in 128 games.
The Cardinals traded Pham to the Tampa Bay Rays on July 31, 2018 during the trade deadline, where he spent the rest of that campaign and the 2019 season.
The Rays then traded Pham to the San Diego Padres on Dec. 6, 2019, where he played the next two seasons, but never hit above .230.
Pham then spent the 2022 season with the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox, plus the 2023 season with New York Mets and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Pirates will serve as Pham's 10th team that he's played for in his MLB career. He has slashed .258/.346/.427, possesses an OPS of .773 and has 985 hits, 183 doubles, 24 triples, 139 home runs, 470 RBI, 126 stolen bases and 489 walks to 1,028 strikeouts.
