The Cincinnati Reds have traded outfielder and slap artist Tommy Pham to the Boston Red Sox.
Tommy Pham, dealer of The Slap Heard ‘Round the World earlier this season, has been traded to the Boston Red Sox. While this move will likely not go down as one of the most impactful deals, it certainly is a slap in the face for a player of Pham’s stature to be dealt.
Oh well, it sounds like he will be going from the Cincinnati Reds to being a part of the Red Sox Phamily.
All puns aside, Pham has had a down year for the struggling Reds, who currently sit at 40-61, 16.5 GB of the first-place Brewers in the NL Central. Pham has 11 home runs and 39 RBI in 91 games for Cincy with an OPS+ of 88.
Reds: Tommy Pham traded to Boston
The Red Sox are walking a fine line in this year’s deadline, choosing a stance right down the middle between buying and selling assets. With Christian Vazquez switching dugouts and heading to the Astros, Boston immediately finalized another deal by shoring up their outfield.
As things currently stand for the Red Sox, the outfield picture consists of Alex Verdugo, Jarren Duran and Jackie Bradley Jr. from left to right. While Verdugo is a solid contributor in this lineup, Duran and JBJ have been below average offensive forces (although their gloves have been great for the Sox).
Pham will bring some more pop to this lineup and is capable of playing all three outfield spots, with the majority of his time in the big leagues being split between left and center.
A free agent at season’s end, Pham has postseason experience under his belt (2015 with the Cardinals, 2019 with the Rays and 2020 with the Padres) and has actually performed quite well, hitting three home runs and posting a .352 batting average in 56 career postseason plate appearances.
The trade return has not yet been announced but the Reds are not likely to receive much value in exchange for Pham’s services, as he is an aging veteran whose performance on the field has began to dip in recent years.