Pirates already justified in their decision to sign Tommy Pham in free agency

The Pirates spent the entire offseason in the market for an outfielder, ultimately signing Tommy Pham to a one-year, $4.025 million contract. Many Pirates fans set the bar higher than that, and were underwhelmed that the club's months-long search for a bat resulted in this conclusion.

It seems, however, that the Bucs may have ended up with exactly what they were looking for.

Pham, who just turned 37, isn't the player he used to be—his three-year peak (2017-2019) saw him post a 133 wRC+ that put him in the top-25 among qualified hitters. He produced a pair of 20-20 seasons and placed 11th in National League MVP voting in 2017.

In 2024, he was still at least a league-average bat in the first half of the season with the White Sox, but his offense faded down the stretch with both the Cardinals and Royals. All told, he slashed .248/.305/.368 and homered nine times in 478 plate appearances. At least some of the underlying metrics were more promising—his expected batting average (.263) and expected slugging percentage (.407) would indicate that he was a bit unlucky.

Pirates offseason addition Tommy Pham's most important trait

But what sticks out the most about Pham is his personality. He has certainly raised some eyebrows in recent years, whether it be the time he slapped Joc Pederson over fantasy football or his postgame comments after an on-field collision with William Contreras last season. Many point to the fact that the Pirates will be Pham's 10th team in 12 seasons as proof that he's "a bad clubhouse guy."

It seems that quite the opposite is true, actually. In fact, Pham seems to always wind up playing meaningful baseball in September, and is often sought out by contending clubs each season. He spent the first eight seasons of his career on competitive Cardinals, Rays, and Padres teams. Pham was acquired midseason by the 2022 Red Sox (who were .500 at the time of the trade but missed the playoffs), the 2023 Diamondbacks (who reached the World Series, where Pham posted a 1.165 OPS), and the 2024 Royals (who snuck into the playoffs and swept the Orioles in the opening round).

A 2023 story over at The Athletic detailed how Pham, despite his reputation and the edge with which he plays, is universally respected and adored by just about everyone he's played with throughout his career. That could turn out to be the case in Pittsburgh as well.

None of the Pirates' more experienced veterans (Andrew McCutchen, Adam Frazier, Isiah Kiner-Falefa), nor any of the players they've managed to lock up long-term (Ke'Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds, Mitch Keller), are particularly vocal leaders (Paul Skenes is trying at least, but he's still only 22). Pham is happy to offer advice to younger players, as many MLB veterans are, but what sets him apart is his willingness to be blunt and honest, even if it comes across as harsh.

The Pirates' clubhouse has seldom featured "someone who isn't afraid to challenge or call out a teammate" lately. It's possible that no such player has lasted long enough with the team to make a substantial impact behind the scenes since the days of A.J. Burnett and Russell Martin.

That's not to say that Tommy Pham is going to single-handedly change the culture in Pittsburgh, or that signing a 37-year-old coming off of a .674 OPS is enough to believe that this front office is serious about making a real push in 2025.

But Tommy Pham has been around for a long time for a reason, and he provides more value to the Pirates than what shows up on the stat sheet.

While Pham's best baseball is certainly behind him, he's the kind of player who helps those around him become better players themselves. And the Pirates need more of that.