Why Tommy Pham makes sense for the Blue Jays on a short-term deal

Toronto Blue Jays fans awoke on Sunday morning to the news that Cody Bellinger was heading back to Chicago, inking an $80 million pact over three years that includes multiple player options throughout the deal.

It’s a far cry from the $200 million that Bellinger and his camp were reportedly looking for earlier this winter but he is at least off the board, which can’t be said for some of Scott Boras’s other clients such as Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, J.D. Martinez, and former Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman.

A reunion between the Blue Jays and Chapman does have some validity, especially if both sides can agree on a short-term deal similar to what Bellinger inked with the Cubs. It doesn’t seem like Ross Atkins and co. are ready to commit to a long-term deal for the defensive stalwart and from the outside looking in, it appears the Jays and the San Francisco Giants are pushing the conversation for the third baseman’s services. That can always change in free agency but the Jays stand well compared to other clubs at least in terms of not having to forfeit draft pick compensation after the California product rejected the Blue Jays qualifying offer.

The Blue Jays and Tommy Pham make sense in a short-term deal

While a quick scan of social media has Jays fans on the fence about a Chapman reunion, one free agent that could be of interest to the Blue Jays front office is Tommy Pham, a ten-year veteran of the big leagues who is currently looking for a new home.

A corner outfielder as of late, mostly in left field, Pham split last season between the New York Mets and the Arizona Diamondbacks, producing a .256/.328/.446 slash line with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs to the tune of a .774 OPS. He produced a 111 OPS+ and a 1.5 bWAR between both clubs and has seen both the highs and lows of his baseball career since his debut with the St. Louis Cardinals back in 2014.

Adding to the intrigue, Bob Nightengale at USA Today reports that Pham has yet to receive a contract offer from any MLB club, with the outfielder continuing to work out in Las Vegas as he waits for his phone to ring for another opportunity. It’s interesting to see that Pham hasn’t generated that much interest in the form of an offer, especially since he has handled left-handed pitchers well over his career (.834 OPS with 111 RBIs). He’s also coming off a postseason run with the Diamondbacks where he went 8 for 19 in the World Series, adding four extra-base hits and two RBIs for Arizona as they fell just short of the win.