Mets likely forgoing IL stint for Tommy Pham due to outfielder’s trade value ahead of deadline
Over the last two weeks, the Mets have continually lauded Tommy Pham for his honest assessments of his own health while dealing with groin soreness. The Mets trust that what he says is accurate and they appreciate the work he is putting into getting back on the field.
“Tommy had another good day. He’s better today than he was Sunday,” manager Buck Showalter said Tuesday at Yankee Stadium ahead of the Subway Series. “I talked to him after he got through. We’re hoping that being able to turn him loose completely is imminent. He’s more available than he was yesterday to do some things. He’s a really good judge of where he is physically and he’s pretty frank about it. We trust him.”
The trust is all well and good, but at this point, he’s been dealing with groin soreness and tightness since July 9. The Mets could’ve put him on the injured list but that would complicate his trade value.
Pham and relievers Brooks Raley and David Robertson remain the Mets’ best trade candidates should the club decide to trade away veteran talent at the Aug. 1 deadline. But with that deadline only a week away, the team has backed themselves into a corner with the left fielder. The Mets would be unable to trade Pham if he’s on the injured list. The 35-year-old has been one of the Mets’ best hitters since June. If you believe the rumors, then outfielder Mark Canha is starting to generate some interest from opposing teams as well. But Pham was on a hot streak before the injury (.305/.379/.531 with a .911 OPS, six home runs and 21 RBI since June). An impact bat like that would naturally garner interest for a contending team.
Keeping him off the injured list last week meant playing a man down, but Pham was available off the bench Sunday against the Boston Red Sox and he’ll be available off the bench during the Subway series as well. It’s not much. It’s nothing that would increase his trade value, and nothing to hurt it either, but it does leave some lingering questions about how healthy he really is right now.
“You always wonder and worry a little bit when a guy is doing really well and he has something like this, what’s he going to be like when he gets back in the flow again?” Showalter said. “But Tommy is very regimented and driven. He does his work to be good. We’ll see. I’m hoping that in the near future, we’re able to turn him loose and play because we’d like to have him back.”
Showalter said the tightness in Pham’s groin has subsided, but they’re still working on some things that would allow him to get back into the lineup.
“I don’t know if I’d call it tightness, but it’s different levels of apprehension,” Showalter said. “Can I push this, can I do this, I don’t want to use the work recklessly, but can I do this without thinking about it at every step? He’s getting close but the problem with that is that you do all of these things at BP and with the trainers and it’s a different level once the game speed starts. I’ve seen guys who are perfectly fine, there’s no way it’s not behind them, but then there’s something that happens in the game that’s just different.”
Of course, the Mets could choose to hang on to Pham, deeming him necessary to get back into playoff contention. As Showalter said, they’d like to have him back at full strength as soon as possible. We’ll soon find out how the Mets plan to approach the trade deadline, but as the second half of the Subway Series begins, the picture still isn’t clear.
