Veteran outfielder Tommy Pham understands he may be on borrowed time with the New York Mets if his offensive woes continue.
“I’ve got to play better to get more playing time,” Pham directly admitted before Thursday’s home game against the Tampa Bay Rays, per Dan Martin of the New York Post. “This game is not friendly. People don’t really care if you go 0-for-4 with four balls hit 110 [mph] that get caught or if you hit four balls off the end of the bat and fall for hits. It’s better to have four go off the end of the bat for hits. Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good. I’ll take the luck right now.”
Pham joined the Mets in January via a one-year contract reportedly worth $6M with $2M in incentives and hoped new corrective lenses would help him see better at the plate. The 35-year-old produced positive results early into the season but began Thursday afternoon in the middle of a 1-for-16 slump. Perhaps most worrisome as it pertains to his Mets future, he was pinch-hit for in each of the previous two games as the organization turned to prospects such as slugger Mark Vientos for help.
Pham started Thursday batting .200 with three home runs and nine RBI on the campaign, and he admitted he may soon be out of a job.
“There are 29 other teams in this game,” Pham pointed out. “I’ve been traded three times [in my career]. One thing I’ve learned is if you keep being a pro and working hard, somebody else might want you. I’m just going about my business.”
The Mets have plenty of veterans but often lacked pop and power in the lineup throughout losses this spring. Pham may be a favorite among players, but he needs more than a good outing here or there to stay with the Amazins through and beyond Memorial Day.
