ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly planning to place veteran outfielder Tommy Pham on waivers, a move that could lead to him joining a different team over the next few days.
Pham, 36, joined the Cardinals from the Chicago White Sox in a three-team trade on July 29 that also sent then-injured utilityman Tommy Edman to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Exactly one month later, the Cardinals intend to place him on irrevocable waivers, a roster move initially reported by The Athletic’s Katie Woo.
When a player is placed on waivers but not designated for assignment, as is the case for Pham, 29 other MLB teams have an opportunity to claim him over short period of time, usually within 2-3 days.
Any MLB team aside from the Cardinals can submit a claim to roster Pham, though would be responsible for his financial obligations for the rest of the season. With the Cardinals placing Pham on waivers Thursday, this would allow him to potentially join another team by Sept. 1, a key deadline for a player to be eligible for postseason with any new team he may join.
If Pham goes unclaimed ahead of Sunday, he will remain under Cardinal control. He could stay with the roster for the rest of the year or there could be a corresponding move that removes him from the roster. In the case that Pham departed the Cardinals roster and joined a new team after Sept. 1, however, he would not be eligible for postseason play because he wasn’t rostered before the league’s applicable deadline.
Pham, who made his MLB debut with the Cardinals and previously played in St. Louis from 2014-2018, initially made a big splash in his return, crushing a grand slam in his first game back and several key hits over his first few games. The Cardinals acquired him for a right-handed bat against lefties and versatility in the outfield, along with his veteran presence.
However, his production has dipped considerably in recent weeks as the Cardinals have sputtered around .500 and lost considerable ground for a postseason push. Pham has just three hits and three RBI over his last 39 at-bats.
With Michael Siani seemingly closer to returning to action and Jordan Walker possibly pushing for a September call-up, the Cardinals may have a cluttered roster down the stretch again in which Pham isn’t necessarily guaranteed everyday opportunities. The waiver process, whether Pham stays or goes by Sept. 1, could move him to a team with stronger postseason chances than the Cardinals, currently 66-67 with one month of the regular season remaining.
The Cardinals complete a four-game home series with the San Diego Padres on Thursday, followed by a crucial six-game roadtrip against the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers that could be key in the ultimate fate of their season.
