Tommy Pham will be tendered a contract by the Padres prior to today’s 7pm CT deadline, The Athletic’s Dennis Lin reports (Twitter link). The Padres’ decision ends months of speculation that Pham could be non-tendered a way of saving a projected arbitration salary of roughly $8MM for the 2021 season.
It was a tumultuous first season for Pham in San Diego after being acquired (along with Jake Cronenworth) as part of a trade with the Rays last offseason — a deal made in part so Tampa Bay could escape Pham’s escalating arbitration price tag. Pham hit only .211/.312/.312 over 125 plate appearances and missed time in September due to a fractured left hamate bone. He was able to return in time for the postseason, and delivered a big performance (1.077 OPS in 13 PA) during the Padres’ wild card series victory over the Cardinals.
Since the season ended, Pham was stabbed in the lower back after an incident in a parking lot, though he thankfully escaped with seemingly only minor injuries. Pham also underwent surgery on his left wrist at some point in the offseason.
With all of these factors in mind, the Padres still obviously feel comfortable enough in Pham’s ability to bounce back that the team was comfortable in offering him another contract. Pham, after all, posted outstanding numbers (.284/.381/.475 with 65 homers) over 1754 plate appearances with the Cardinals and Rays from 2017-19, so there’s plenty of evidence that a healthy Pham can provide even more hitting depth within an already strong Padres lineup.
The ‘cry poor’ offseason has been a myth so far.
Has anyone actually cried though? It is unexplainable that teams are run like businesses can’t get why that is the case?
Good decision. I’m glad we didn’t release him just because of a bad 2020. Tommy Pham is still a great player.
I think AJ doesn’t want to see him in a Dodgers uniform.
Feel free to continue posting this kind of idiocy.
Seriously the Dodgers and Pham get real
Tommy Pham is no longer a “great player.” This is a dumb move. But … Preller.
It’s Preller doubling down on dumb but who does he have to replace him with.
I see Pham is the canary in the coal mine for this off-season. He’s good enough with a solid enough track record that he deserves to be tendered, IMO. But, had he not been, it wouldn’t bode well for many players in a similar situation (not that other execs care what Preller and Co. do) We’ll see how the rest of the day plays out…
Good!!! Seeing padres fans on this blog think this was a bad idea can remember that we traded him for two outfielders that would’ve cost us twice as much as Pham next year for half the talent. 2021, 25/25 .250 hitter prediction.
It’s all about the health. I like Pham a lot, but I think he may have been cursed by some kind of witch.
Who are the two outfielders you are referring to?
WTF are you talking about? Renfroe would have cost $3 million in arbitration and Edwards is not in the majors at all.
Pham has never hit 25 HR and won’t in 2021 either. If he can hit 18 it would be a surprise.
Speed goes away quickly as players age. Pham is not an exception. His sprint speed has already dropped from 28.7 ft/sec to 28.2 ft/sec since 2017. That means he won’t get 25 SB either.
.250 is probably about right for him at this stage in his career.
His only value is if he can continue to draw walks at the same rate.
All of that is only even in play if his self-described “catastrophic injuries” do not limit his playing time in 2021.
Definitely not worth $8 million.
For about the same money, they could pick up Rosario from the Twins. He’s younger and better.
I’ll take the guy with the career 370 OBP over the guy with a career 309 OBP, thanks.
@leebos … You want to pay $8-9 Million for a guy whose primary offensive contribution is walks?
Over a younger guy who brings good D, .280 with power, and speed?
Jeez.
Pham has a stronger track record of doing what Rosario does (280 with power and speed), plus the walks. Also since when is Rosario’s 13 SBs over 3 years considered speed? And power is cheeeeeeap which is the only thing Rosario definitively has over Pham, talent-wise. So yes, I want Pham over Rosario on this Padres team and it’s not particularly close for me.
Speed and stolen bases are two distinctly different things.
We’ll see what happens, but I have no confidence in Pham.
Bingo
It will be enjoyable to have Tommy once again, prove his skeptics wrong. He’s been doing it all his career. He’ll do it again. I’m glad he has this opportunity. The Cardinals never replaced him and their outfield is their weakest area. The Rays did not replace him with Renfroe. The Padres fans never really had the opportunity to see him until the end of this past season. If he stays healthy he’ll put up the numbers and with his aggressiveness he will be come a fan favorite as he has been with previous teams.
Tommy Pham was leading the majors in SB when he went on the IL the first time. He’s a very good player. I don’t understand all the Padres’ fans bashing on him. He had a rough year but it was mainly due to injuries. He helped the team tremendously on their approach. He’s a big reason their walk rate increased dramatically. He was also a good team leader. I think if he can get healthy, he will have another 20/20 type season. I’m glad to see that he will be returning.
Lol let’s argue that I’m one off-season the padres planned to get Pham and Pagan for Margot, Renfroe, Rhodes, etc. It took two trades and there are other pieces there but Pham was who we went for.. Pham is DEFINITELY worth more than $8M. In fact Myers average annual salary from his extension with us was in the $15-20M range when he was producing much less. Without going down that rabbit hole, we traded Renfroe who was going into 3rd year arb for probably $3-4M and Margot going into second for about $8-9. Coronavirus market deflation should square you up for HALF what they would make for a single year in 2021.
Renfroe and Margot were Arb 1 eligible last offseason when they were traded…
He seems to be another Jon Jay. Decent player, but nowhere near worth what AJ paid for him.
Breaking: Pham stabbed by stripper while signing new contract.
Now he is planning to sue the strip club. Get yours, and then get yours Pham-bam!
I’m fine with this just as long as Preller genuinely believes that Pham can provide surplus value on the ~$8m he is going to get in arbitration and isn’t just doing this because he doesn’t want to look bad after trading Hunter Renfroe and Xavier Edwards for him.
Pads Fans is going to be so mad. What say you Koamalu?
It’s OK as long as “Preller genuinely believes” it? Are you serious? Do I need to list the dumpster fires that Preller “genuinely” believed in? Pham is NOT worth $8-9 Million, and there’s a strong likelihood he’ll spend half the season on the IL.
Perhaps I should have been more clear. I can’t control what AJ Preller does, so I’m not going to slam this move as long as he genuinely believes Tommy Pham can provide surplus value on an $8m contract. And I can see that happening. I might not find it likely but I can see it happening. But Preller has not proven to be the most objective, logical quarterback. And I could see him tendering Pham so as to not give the illusion of getting out of him even if he doesn’t genuinely believe the guy is worth $8m. That is the kind of thinking I have a problem with. Pham’s value is based on what he is projected to do in 2021. Not based on the fact that Preller gave up Hunter Renfroe and Xavier Edwards for him.
didn’t we also get Cronenworth in that deal? I think Padres moved Renfroe at the only time in his big league career that he will ever have trade value. Cronenworth will have some ups and downs but we havent seen his ceiling yet, despite playing over his head in 2020. Pham just has to put up a 2021 in line with his career averages to approach surplus value on 8mil, which is entirely possible. So. unless Edwards becomes a legitimate superstar 2B or CF (he’s not jumping Adames AND Franco in at SS in TB, even 5-6 years from now when Franco will be winning MVP awards), then we have already fleeced the Rays on this trade. How many FOs in baseball can boast that feat?
1) We aren’t talking about Cronenworth.
2) “Surplus vale” is a projected guess with no basis in reality.
Fair enough, just sounded as though harambe was making their points with the presumption that it was a bad trade. Pham could have another crap year and I think we still win that trade. But you’re right that’s beyond the scope of the particular thread here, so I’ll see myself out.
The trade will come down to who has the better career out of Jake Cronenworth and Xavier Edwards.
What Preller believes has little clout
Pham claimed in his lawsuit that he had “catastrophic injuries”. How are those minor?
Ryan, I’m not mad, I’m disappointed. Another bad decision by Preller.
We know without a doubt that Pham will never again be even as good as he was in 2019 when he hit .273. He is going into his age 33 season and players decline starting at their age 30 season, which Pham’s production in 2018-2020 has shown he is already declining.
He has a degenerative eye disease that means every year his eyesight gets worse and it can’t be corrected with glasses or contacts or even surgery.
We know that he had an injury in 2019 that carried over in 2020 to the point that if the season started on time he would have been on the IL.
We know that he broke his hamate bone last season, an injury that cost him half the 2020 season and that lingers beyond the season it happens in for nearly all players.
We know that he also had surgery this offseason to repair ligaments that support the hamate.
We know that he exhibited such a massive lack of good judgement that he went to Pacers during a pandemic and then got involved in a fight.
That is not the kind of player you want on your team period, let alone one that is going to be paid $8-10 million. But what is done is done. The Padres now have $8 – 10 million less to spend on their real areas of need.
Ryan, you can try to argue more if you want, but none of those points are debatable.
Lol I love how you have to resort to your “Ryan” schtick when you are exposed for being wrong. You repeated ad nauseum on here and Friarhood that Tommy Pham would be non-tendered. Well he wasn’t.
So as you always like to say, “Anything else you care to be wrong about today?”
Like I said Ryan, you can try to argue if you want, but not a single point is debatable. You cannot argue anything in the post I made.
I said he should be non-tendered and said why I thought he should. I referenced articles that said he might be non-tendered. Reading comprehension is not your strong suit. Lying and arguing without merit is. Get a life Ryan.
“You can try to argue if you want, but not a single point is debatable. You cannot argue anything in the post I made.”
I’m actually not arguing with you. But this attitude of “I’m right, everyone else is wrong and that’s it” has been a hallmark of yours for years right next to making up stories about speaking to insiders. You aren’t always (or even usually) right and throwing insults at people who disagree with you isn’t help your case.
“I said he should be non-tendered and said why I thought he should.”
Actually you posted comments like “The Padres have x amount to spend on pitching after the Perdomo, Garcia and Pham non-tenders.” Acting like non-tendering Tommy Pham was a given.
“Reading comprehension is not your strong suit. Lying and arguing without merit is.”
You mean like your lies about sitting above the Padres dugout during the Mexico series and overhearing Eric Hosmer make a rude comment to Andy Green after he hit a home run in game 1? Or about sitting next to Dan Lozano on a plane and him personally telling you that Manny Machado was going to sign with the Padres? Or about having a realtor sister who sold Freddy Galvis a house in San Diego? Or about buying up a bunch of farmland from bankrupt farmers? I can go all day buddy.
“Get a life Ryan.”
This coming from the guy who spends all day commenting ignorantly from 6 different accounts. And using them to “agree” with himself.
I told you this can stop any time you want it to.
Tommy Pham has keratoconus but it doesn’t mean his eye condition gets worse every year. Every person is different so every case is different. He underwent a procedure which has been proven to slow progression. Although at his age the condition usually slows down on its own. Contact lenses can correct vision to 20/20 in some individuals.
Keywords “slow progression”. Keratoconus gets worse. Every year its worse. Never better. Sometimes slower, sometimes faster. Its a degenerative condition.
Contact lenses have no effect on a thinner cornea. They have no effect on a distended cornea. My sister has the disease and in your 30s it does not “slow down”. It continues to get worse. Until eventually you entirely lose your sight in one or both eyes.
Bravesfanforever is totally correct. First, it is a miracle that he can play major league baseball – or baseball at any level – with a sight-comprising eye condition. That said, it will not progress. It was stabilized with a procedure called corneal cross-linking which was experimental at that time (around 8 – 10 years ago) and was not FDA approved until a few years ago. Tommy is someone always looking for an edge and that’s why he has always been a quick healer and the Padres are correct in that he is on track to be healthy and hating well before Spring Training. I won’t comment on the stabbing incident. It’s unfortunate but – barring a future injury – those critical of him will feel differently after you see how he plays and the leadership he exhibits. Being a lifelong Cardinals fan, I greatly questioned why the Cardinals would trade one of their best players – an exceptional young – but immature – shortstop Gary Templeton to the Padres to get a weak hitting “problem-child” with a bad agent by the name of Ozzie Smith. It too me less than a week to be shouting “OZZIE, OZZIE” and he soon became my favorite player. Give Tommy a chance. No one is perfect but he is hardworking, dedicated and aggressive.
It was not “stabilized.” The progression was slowed. Big difference. It won’t ever get better.
You have a weird memory of the Ozzie trade. He wasn’t 33, and the “problem child” was Tempy in St Louis.
It was , in fact, stabilized, and has not progressed . . . and will not progress since that time. Being stabilized infers that it will not get better or worse. My reference to Ozzie is the fact that this was the perception everyone in St. Louis had of him when the trade was made. We were all wrong. Sometimes perceptions do not turn into reality. A healthy Tommy Pham will have an impact on your perceptions.
It’s all good. But you should look up keratoconus on WebMD. There is no cure, only slowing.
Adding: I really hope Pham succeeds and changes my perceptions.
Good point. There is no cure. It is self-limiting so that it runs it’s course in 4 – 7 years. The corneal cross-linking procedure appears to have helped end the progression. I truly don’t know how he hits major league pitching or have the ability to walk as much as he does. I guess the same could be said for Stephen Curry.
West Coast Ryan!
Hard to find a player with Pham’s upside for 8M so was a good call. Not to mention Pham will be extra motivated being a contract year.
Pham could be a relative “bargain” this year. Because of the poor season, wrist injury and subsequent stabbing he would probably lose an arbitration case; the Padres know this and can negotiate a deal with him that’s agreeable. And it’s only a 1 year deal. Contract year players tend to do well because they have something to play for.
Thought he’d be non-tendered. Tells us more about the confidence the Padres management has with the current outfield situation.
This isn’t a big deal one way or the other. The Padres can afford his salary, and don’t have an in-house replacement, so it makes sense.
The point isn’t whether or not they can afford to pay Tommy Pham $8m. The point is whether or not he’d get that as a FA.
No, the point is whether or not Pham is worth it at this point in his career. I don’t think so.
@SDHotDawg if you don’t think he’s worth $8m but someone else does you don’t non-tender him. You tender him and trade him. Like what the A’s did with Jurickson Profar a year ago.
The A’s didn’t tender him. They pulled him back to make the trade. Preller gave him his arbitration contract.
@SDHotDawg but they didn’t non-tender him because they could get something by trading him, even if they themselves didn’t want to pay him all that money. This also works the other way around. If you think a guy is worth what he is projected to get in arbitration but no one else does, you still non-tender him so you can bring him back as a FA for less $ than his arb projection.
And yes, you are allowed to re-sign a guy after non-tendering him. It’s a different procedural move than releasing him.
Contract year. Chip on his shouilder. Prove the nay-sayers wrong. This could be a good year if he can stay healthy.
Just don’t bat him 2-4 anymore. Move him to 5-7
He had a .384 OBP from 2017-2019. If he can return to that form next season, he could be a good table setter for Tatis Jr. and Machado.
This was the right move in my opinion. Pham has had his fair share of injury issues the past couple years, but when fully healthy has been a well above average performer. He’s still only 32 and will have plenty of incentive to perform in a contract year. At only about $8 million, he’s a better value than most of what free agency can offer.
He turns 33 on March 8th – Spring Training.
Pham will teach the young Latino farmhands how to tuck a buck at the strip clubs.