Pirates insider gives his verdict on $4,000,000 Tommy Pham acquisition

The Pittsburgh Pirates finally made a move this offseason by bringing in outfielder Tommy Pham on a one-year, $4 million contract on Thursday. This will be the 10th MLB franchise for Pham, who has not spent one full season with a single team since 2021.

Last year, Pham hit .248 with nine home runs and 39 RBIs over 116 plate appearances. However, according to insiders and analysts, the move is far from inspiring.

On Thursday's episode of "DK'S Daily Shot of Pirates," insider Dejan Kovacevic shared his take on the newest acquisition of the Pirates. Kovacevic suggested that with this move, there's nothing to look forward to this Spring Training, as what was expected to be a competition between Jack Suwinski and Joshua Palacios for the right field spot is now no longer available.

"When the Pirates pay $4 million for somebody, the Pirates are looking for a starter," the insider said (2:50 onwards). "And this player—I don’t want to be mean, okay? I mean, he’s had an 11-year Major League career, and by all accounts, he’s a good dude, a professional. He had a wonderful start with the Cardinals—we’ll all remember that.

"But you're talking about somebody who, last year, slashed .248/.335/.368 with 9 home runs and 39 RBIs. He’s a .258 career hitter with not much pop."

Dejan Kovacevic compares Tommy Pham with former Pirates outfielder

Continuing his unfiltered take, Dejan Kovacevic further compared Tommy Pham with their former outfielder Connor Joe.

"He’s kind of like Connor Joe—except that Joe was better," Kovacevic added. "But they let Joe go. And he was the consummate pro in every regard. I’m only pointing that out because this isn’t someone who would have been let go for any reason other than performance. And you know what? Joe was just a better player."

The insider tried to analyze this move from every angle but failed to explain why the Pirates signed a 37-year-old outfielder instead of bringing in a younger player with upside or investing in a more reliable impact bat.

"Even if you're looking at this purely from a platoon standpoint—meaning you’d go with Suwinski or Palacios from one side and have somebody making things happen against lefties—Joe was a .714 OPS guy against lefties in 2024. Pham was a .674. I don’t know what to tell you," Kovacevic added.

"I know there’s a real craving—understandably so—among this fan base for, you know, blood, I guess you could call it. Rip these guys. Tear them a new one. But I’m out of material. These are people are not competitive by nature."

Last year, Pham signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox in April and by July he was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals. In August, the Cardinals designated him on assignment and the following day he was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Royals.

The Pirates probably have one of the best pitchers of this generation, Paul Skenes, but as Kovacevic said, the move is mind-boggling.