Ex-Royals Slugger Predicted To Sign With Rockies After Brief Stint
The Kansas City Royals had plenty of things to be excited about in 2024. They rose from 106 losses to capture the second American League Wild Card, came to within two wins of the ALCS and also had Bobby Witt Jr. thrust his way into the AL MVP conversation.
The Royals made several key moves to bolster their roster along the way. Late in the year, they claimed Tommy Pham off of waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Pham is now a free agent, and while projecting each MLB team's Opening Day lineup for 2025, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report predicted that the veteran slugger will leave Kansas City and sign with the Colorado Rockies.
"With Charlie Blackmon retiring, there is room to add a low-cost veteran bat to fill the designated hitter role, and Tommy Pham has made a living signing with non-contenders and playing well enough to get traded to a contending team at the deadline the last several years."
Pham struggled a bit in 2024. Between the Cardinals, Royals and Chicago White Sox, the veteran slugger hit just .248 with nine home runs, 39 RBI, seven stolen bases and a .674 OPS. Though he reached base at a .305 clip, he slugged just .368, had a 91 OPS+ and a -0.2 Wins Above Replacement.
The Royals need a little more offense, even after acquiring Jonathan India from the Cincinnati Reds. Pham can be replaced, fortunately. The Royals could look at potentially signing Anthony Santander or Teoscar Hernandez.
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Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.