The other reason this move does not make a lick of sense is Pham has had some off-the-field troubles in the past.
Pham famously slapped Joc Pederson in the face before a game in 2022 over a fantasy football dispute when Pham was with the Reds and Pederson was with the Giants. He was also stabbed while trying to defend himself outside of a strip club in 2020. Pham was the one attacked, he was not causing any trouble, and he did win a civil suit with the club over the security that night.
This offseason was all about upgrading the character in the clubhouse and the Sox are about to add a guy who got upset over fantasy football and then got physical with another person over it. The incident was so bad in the eyes of the Giants that they did not even bother to try to trade for him before last year's deadline. They let him go to a division rival over the issue.
In all seriousness, I inquired about whether Tommy Pham would be a complete non-starter for the Giants. Was told unequivocally that they will not consider anyone with a DV incident in their past, which includes Pham. They consider the Joc slap an assault.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) August 1, 2023
Pham might be a good clubhouse guy, but it all comes down to perception and the Sox keep ignoring that. Instead, it looks like the front office is panicking and trying to throw whatever is possible against the wall and hoping it sticks. This time they are ignoring Pham's age, their young talent, and his past in the hopes that maybe he can add a run or two to a horrible offense.