MIAMI — Cincinnati Reds general manager Nick Krall called left fielder Tommy Pham one of the hardest workers he’s seen at the clubhouse. But with the Reds rebuilding, Krall traded Pham to the Boston Red Sox on Monday night for a player to be named later.
Pham was dropped from the Reds’ roster minutes before Monday’s first pitch in Miami, and he was told he had been traded. He is eligible to become a free agent at the end of the season, and the Red Sox will receive his remaining salary, approximately $2.1 million, and a $500,000 assignment bonus.
“He was really good, very prepared, took his job very seriously and worked hard,” Krall said. “We really enjoyed having him in the clubhouse. With where we are, it allows us to play one of the youngest. This gives him a chance to make the playoffs.
As a general rule, the player to be named later, who is usually a lower-tier prospect, cannot be someone on a club’s 40-man roster or someone who was picked in the draft. of last month.
It’s the third trade for the rebuilding Reds since Thursday, sending outfielder Tyler Naquin to the New York Mets and Luis Castillo to the Seattle Mariners for young prospects.
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After swapping Naquin and Pham, the Reds’ outfield consists of Nick Senzel, Jake Fraley and Albert Almora. Krall said Aristides Aquino will be activated from his rehab assignment on Tuesday, and Aquino was the only player mentioned by Krall when asked about the team’s starting outfielder for the remainder of the season.
“We want to make sure that we give our guys enough plate appearances at the big league level to gain experience here, to improve and keep improving,” Krall said.
The Reds still have several trade candidates ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. Infielders Brandon Drury and Donovan Solano are eligible to become free agents at the end of the season. Right-hander Tyler Mahle may be the best pitcher available on the commercial market after Oakland sent Frankie Montas to the New York Yankees. Mike Minor and Hunter Strickland are options for playoff contenders looking for throwing depth.
Krall said of the trades on the horizon: “Always working, trying to figure out how to make ourselves better.”
Pham has hit .238 with 11 doubles, 11 home runs, 39 RBIs and 57 runs in 91 games this season. He slumped throughout July, which he called the worst month of his career, with a .204 batting average, two doubles, a triple, zero homers and a .255 on-base percentage.
“Only positive things to say,” said Reds manager David Bell. “I imagine (if) you went through the whole clubhouse it would be the same comeback. I knew that. I’ve known Tommy for a long time. It was great to bring him here and have him in our culture for what we’re trying to build, even if it was for a short period of time.”
Pham had one of baseball’s most memorable moments of the season after he slapped San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson before a game in May and was suspended for three games. He said he was ready to fight San Diego’s Luke Voit after a slip at home plate, which he thought was a dirty play, left catcher Tyler Stephenson with a concussion.
At the clubhouse, Pham was a well-respected veteran known for his consistent approach and dogged focus on the basics.
“He had an advantage over him,” said Reds centre-back Nick Senzel. “Honestly, he was one of the hardest guys in the room. He wanted to win. I learned a lot for him. He’s really smart in baseball. I know he has a bad reputation, but I don’t think not that it’s very good. deserved. He was good as a clubhouse guy, and he will be missed.
“He’s a competitor, man,” Reds utility player Matt Reynolds said. “Man, I’ve never seen a guy come in and take as many swings as him. He was very specific about his swing and the moves he wanted to feel. He’s a good clubhouse guy. I’m sure the people have their opinions about everything that happened, but as a teammate he cared. He wanted to win.”
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It was the third time Pham, 34, had been traded in his nine-year career. The Reds signed him as a free agent after trading Jesse Winker, along with Eugenio Suárez, to the Mariners in March.
He signed a one-year, $7.5 million deal with the Reds in spring training, which includes a $6 million mutual option for the 2023 season and a $1.5 million buyout. dollars. He received an additional $200,000 through incentives and can earn an additional $800,000 if he exceeds 600 plate appearances.
Pham became an obvious trade candidate after the Reds opened with a 3-22 record as a pending free agent. Still, he praised the coaching staff and the team’s talent throughout the year.
“We had lost six position players and we didn’t have Castillo and Minor,” Pham said of the Reds’ three wins in April. “This team is close. I have already said it. It’s a good team. Bad things happened to us at the beginning of the year and we got into a big hole.
