Outfielder Tommy Pham and the New York Mets agreed on a one-year, $6 million contract Wednesday, sources instructed ESPN, persevering with the staff’s offseason bonanza and pushing the Mets’ report payroll previous the $450 million mark.
Pham, 34, may function a right-handed complement to Daniel Vogelbach as designated hitter for the Mets. He additionally performed 134 video games within the outfield final 12 months for Cincinnati and Boston, hitting .236/.312/.374 with 17 house runs and 63 RBIs.
Pham’s most impactful hit in 2022 may need been with an open hand relatively than a bat. In late May, whereas with the Reds, Pham approached San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson throughout pregame warmups and slapped him throughout the pinnacle. Pham stated he was offended over what he believed was dishonest by Pederson in a fantasy soccer league.
“Joc deserved to be slapped,” Pham stated.
Pham was suspended for 3 video games and finally was traded to Boston, his fifth staff in 5 years. A late bloomer, Pham broke out with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017, hitting .306/.411/.520 and ending eleventh in National League MVP voting. Over his nine-year profession, he has a .259/.354/.433 line with 114 house runs.
The Mets, whose winter expenditures are approaching half a billion {dollars}, pays a 90% tax on Pham’s deal, which was first reported by SNY and features a potential $2 million in efficiency bonuses. The $6 million base wage will price an extra $5.4 million in taxes as a result of the staff’s payroll is over the $293 million competitive-balance-tax threshold nicknamed the “Steve Cohen tax,” after the Mets’ proprietor. Currently, the payroll is projected to be $364 million with an extra $93 million in taxes.
