Mets Sign Veteran Outfielder Tommy Pham to Minor League Deal

The Mets and veteran outfielder Tommy Pham agreed to a minor league contract on March 26, marking the second time the organization has taken a chance on the 38-year-old. Pham is expected to report to Florida for extended spring training before joining Triple-A Syracuse.

Pham would earn a $2.25 million base salary if called up to the majors, and with up to $850,000 in performance bonuses, the deal could reach $3.1 million. It includes an April 25 player opt-out clause.

The Mets added Pham less than a week after veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman tore the meniscus in his left knee near the end of spring training. Tauchman's injury cleared the path for top prospect Carson Benge to make the club as the starting right fielder for his major league debut. Benge wasted no time making his mark: the Mets' outfield on Opening Day featured Juan Soto in left, Luis Robert Jr. in center, and Benge in right, and Benge homered in his debut as the Mets beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-7 at Citi Field.

Pham spent the 2025 season with the Pirates and turned in a slightly below-average .245/.330/.370 batting line, though last year's production was skewed by an awful start. The well-traveled outfielder caught fire in mid-June and slashed .278/.363/.468 with 10 homers, 13 doubles, a triple, an 11.7% walk rate and a 17.2% strikeout rate over his final 273 turns at the plate. He finished the year with 52 RBIs in 120 games and posted a .700 OPS across 449 plate appearances.

The role Pham fills in the organization is straightforward but meaningful. Across his career, the veteran has thrived against southpaws, posting an .802 OPS and 121 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. That splits profile makes him a natural right-handed complement to the left-handed Benge, who enters the big leagues with limited professional experience. Should Benge hit early turbulence against major league arms, Pham gives the Mets a credible fallback option already inside the organization rather than one requiring a separate transaction.

This is Pham's second stint with the Mets organization. He signed a one-year, $6 million contract with New York before the 2023 season and batted .268 with an .820 OPS in 79 games before being dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trade deadline. In those 264 plate appearances, he slashed .268/.348/.472 with 10 home runs, 11 stolen bases, 36 RBIs, and a 124 wRC+. The trade sent Pham to Arizona along with cash considerations in exchange for minor league infielder Jeremy Rodriguez.

Over 12 seasons and 10 franchises, Pham is a career .256 hitter with 149 home runs, 522 RBIs, and 131 stolen bases in 1,241 games, having suited up for the Cardinals, Rays, Padres, Reds, Red Sox, Mets, Diamondbacks, White Sox, Royals, and Pirates. He debuted with St. Louis in 2014 at age 26.

Based on the contract structure, Pham will almost certainly begin the 2026 season in Triple-A Syracuse. With Tauchman's timeline measured in months and the Mets' outfield depth behind Soto, Robert, Benge, and Tyrone Taylor still thin, the opt-out date of April 25 will function as the first real inflection point: either Pham earns a promotion to Queens, or both sides reassess their options with a quarter of the season still ahead.