Tommy Pham, New York Mets (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
MLB Rumors: Phillies trade with Mets for Tommy Pham, Mark Canha on table.
The Philadelphia Phillies may have stumbled upon an unexpected solution in the first round of the weekend. On Friday night, Bryce Harper was moved to the infield after serving as the designated hitter in his season-long return from injury — and he looked the part, making several impressive defensive efforts and pitching in well.
The season-long absence of Rhys Hoskins, who suffered an ACL tear in the spring, likely won’t be an issue with Harper at first base right now, which could open up an opportunity for the Phillies at the trade deadline. In particular, it opens the door for Philadelphia to upgrade their right-handed batting lineup, as Philadelphia pitcher Scott Lauber has stated as a priority.
And they might be able to target an unlikely trade partner to make a deal: the rival New York Mets.
Among the Phillies’ options, Anthony Franco of MBB Trade Ramos said both Tommy Pham and Marc Canha could be options for Philadelphia as they could add an outfielder if Harper stays at first base to take some pressure off his surgically repaired UCL.
Pham, who signed a one-year deal with the Mets last season, has been sidelined for some time with a groin injury, but his return appears to be imminent. In his time in the field, the veteran outfielder is slashing .272/.356/.475 with nine home runs, 15 doubles and one triple.
Meanwhile, Kanha has a club option for 2024, essentially making the 34-year-old a free agent after this season if a team wants to take his salary off the books. He has a .241/.342/.399 slash line with six home runs and 14 doubles, but could still be a veteran hitter to add to the lineup.
While it remains up in the air how aggressively Steve Cohen and the Mets will sell at the trade deadline, Pham and Canha could be moved, though both could be used to try and make one last push this offseason. If that’s the case, the rare trade-off between class rivals could make a lot of sense for the Palestinians to explore.
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