Mets to sign 12-year MLB veteran immediately before Opening Day
The New York Mets will sign veteran MLB outfielder Tommy Pham to a minor league contract, according to multiple reports March 26. MORE: Mets cut former Dodgers World Series champion immediately before Opening Day They might not have Pham for long. As reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Pham has an April 25 opt-out date in his contract, meaning he has the right to elect free agency if he isn’t on the Mets’ 26-man roster in a month.
Not only does that put pressure on the Mets to make a quick decision about whether they want to pay Pham his pro-rated $2. 25 million big league salary, it puts pressure on rookie outfielder Carson Benge to quickly adapt to the big leagues. Benge learned just this week that he made the Mets’ Opening Day roster ahead of their first regular season game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A 2024 draft pick, Benge has only played 24 games above Double-A in his brief professional career. He slashed . 366/.
435/. 439 in spring training to earn the Mets’ primary right field job. Pham’s potential promotion isn’t directly tied to Benge.
An injury to star left fielder Juan Soto, or center fielder Luis Robert Jr. , might do the trick. But both Pham and Benge hit left-handed.