Royals Continue to Make Moves Post-Deadline, Adding Veteran Tommy Pham

The Kansas City Royals were active during the trade deadline, making several deals with the White Sox and Athletics. However, even with the deadline behind them, the Royals aren’t finished adding to their roster. Despite failing to acquire veteran outfielder Tommy Pham from the White Sox at the deadline, Kansas City persisted and ultimately landed the 36-year-old after continued pursuit.
The addition of Pham, in my opinion, is somewhat perplexing. Pham has shown signs of decline recently, but the Royals believe he still has something to offer as they aim to make a push for October. Earlier this season, Pham signed a minor league deal with the White Sox before being traded to the Cardinals in a three-team deal involving the Dodgers. St. Louis hoped Pham could provide a spark off the bench, with the team stating, "One thing we are super excited about with Tommy is just the fact that we have a long history with him. Whenever he goes to a new place, he performs really well and just his ability to be a competitor.”
So, what does Pham bring to the Royals? This season, Pham has posted a respectable .254 batting average with a combined 86 hits between his time with the White Sox and Cardinals. While Kansas City likely won’t use the 36-year-old as an everyday player, Pham should provide a valuable option off the bench. Despite his recent decline, Pham is still an upgrade over Garrett Hampson, who has struggled this season.
Hampson, signed to a one-year, $2 million deal, has been a disappointment for the Royals. The 29-year-old has appeared in 95 games, managing only 45 hits and striking out 50 times, with a batting average of .233. By comparison, Pham is a clear improvement. Additionally, with Vinnie Pasquantino sidelined due to injury, Pham may be filling an open roster spot, potentially signaling that the Royals could move on from Hampson or send another bench player down to Triple-A.
A team can never have too many players with postseason experience, and Pham brings plenty of that. With 31 postseason games under his belt, Pham has contributed to multiple teams in October, including the Cardinals, Rays, Padres, and Diamondbacks. His postseason numbers are solid, and he has the versatility to play both left field and, if needed, right field.
While Pham’s numbers have declined, likely due to age, he remains a low-risk, high-reward player—a type that any playoff hopeful team would take a chance on. Finally, I’m optimistic that Pham can make an immediate impact in the clubhouse and on the field for the rest of the regular season, and hopefully, in the playoffs.







Popular posts from this blog

Flashback Royals: Remembering a Murder Victim

Image
The Royals over the years have worn patches on their uniforms to remember tragic periods in American history including 9/11 and more. Kansas City in 2007 was stunned after learning that local teenager Kelsey Smith was abducted and murdered. The Royals wore light blue ribbons on their wrists in remembrance of the 18-year old after former manager Buddy Bell spoke to the Smith family.  Many Kansas Cityians remember the Kelsey Smith case well after the story of her abduction hit the local media and national media. On June 2, Smith was shopping at her local Target in Overland Park, KS looking for a picture frame for her boyfriend John Biersmith. While at Target, Smith's killer followed her throughout the store after noticing her at the jewelry counter. While Smith was in the checkout line, her abductor ran to his vehicle to grab his gun and waited for her to leave the store to grab her. The 18-year old was unable to fight off the kidnapper and was forced into her vehicle and...
Read more

Flashback Royals: The murder at the pool

Image
Self-defense is more important now than ever, and teams like the Royals are promoting it through various events. In 2008, the Royals held a self-defense class called T.A.K.E. to support The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation and honor Ali Kemp's life. Similarly, the Kelsey Smith Foundation, named after a girl abducted at a Target in Kansas in 2007, also focuses on teaching self-defense. The Royals later honored Kelsey Smith's memory as well. Ali Kemp's murder in 2002 had a profound impact on the Kansas City metro area. At 19, Ali was working as a lifeguard in Leawood, Kansas, during the summer. Her father believed it was a safe job: "It was a wonderful job, a neighborhood pool. And you would think the safest place in the world." However, her shift on that fateful day turned tragic. Around 3 p.m., Ali called a friend for company, but the friend missed the call. Shortly after, Laurel Vine, another friend, arrived at the pool and saw a man leaving. Thinking ...
Read more

Royals small connections to US Presidents

Image
The state of Kansas and the Kansas City metro have several connections to US Presidents, such as the 33rd President Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Although both Kansas and Kansas City have connections to the late Presidents, none of Kansas City's professional baseball teams such as the Monarchs, Athletics, or the Royals had the chance to meet either of them. However, former Royals manager Ned Yost has been to the White House more than once. Yost has met five US Presidents during his time in baseball. The former manager's first interaction with a President was with 39th President Jimmy Carter while living just outside of Atlanta. Yost said the 39th President attended games regularly: "Jimmy used to come a lot to the Braves games, and you could walk down the tunnel going to the dugout when Jimmy was there because Secret Service guys were all outside his little room they had for him and I’d waltz right in there and go sit down,” Yost said. “Him and Rosa...
Read more