Reds 1-year deal with power-hitter Tommy Pham was long overdue

According to Bobby Nightnegale of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Tommy Pham and the Cincinnati Reds are in agreement on a one-year/$6M contract with a $1.5M mutual option for the 2023 season. Adding Pham to the Reds roster was long overdue.

This is exactly the move the Reds needed to make, and while it took longer than it should have, pending a physical on Friday, it's a done deal. Pham brings speed and power to the Cincinnati lineup. After losing Nick Castellanos to the Philadelphia Phillies and trading Eugenio Suárez to the the Seattle Mariners, the Redlegs were in dire need of a power-hitting right-handed bat

The Reds and Tommy Pham have agreed to a one-year deal.

Tommy Pham is no stranger to the National League Central Division. The 34-year-old began his career in St. Louis. The Cardinals traded Pham midway through the 2018 season to the Tampa Bay Rays. Pham spent the remainder of the 2018 and the entire 2019 season along the Gulf Coast before being dealt to the San Diego Padres prior to the 2020 season.

A grizzly incident outside a San Diego night club in October of 2020, during which Pham was stabbed, required 200 stitches. While Pham was able to appear in 155 games last season, he wasn't himself. Pham hit just .229 a posted a wRC+ of 102.

But, moving from the massive, pitcher-friendly confines of Petco Park to the incredibly comfortable and hitter-friendly stadium that is Great American Ball Park should help Pham re-establish himself as a more consistent hitter.

The way Tommy Pham's contract appears to be laid out, the left fielder is essentially betting on himself. If Pham returns to form, he'll no doubt opt out of the $1.5M mutual option and enter free agency next offseason. If he struggles, the ball will then be in the Cincinnati Reds' court.

Adding Pham gives the Reds someone they can slot in the heart of the batting order, likely between Tyler Naquin and Joey Votto, and help drive in runs. Adding Tommy Pham won't replace Nick Castellanos' production, but it will certainly help.