If you’re like me, when news broke that the White Sox were adding outfielder Tommy Pham from the Phillies ahead of the August 31 roster deadline, you were quite confused. With a well-balanced outfield that includes Sam Antonacci and Tristan Peters from the left side and Randal Grichuk and Brenton Doyle from the right, it didn’t seem like another right-handed hitting outfielder was a necessary move for the White Sox. The White Sox made the move nonetheless, and while Pham’s roster fit is unclear, quotes from Will Venable and Andrew Benintendi have made it obvious the move has value regardless.
“I enjoyed playing with him. I’m looking forward to seeing him,” Benintendi, who played with Pham on the 2024 White Sox, told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. “Brings it every single day. Is passionate about winning. Yeah, I think he’ll be a good addition”.
Will Venable, who coached Pham in 2022 while both were in the Red Sox organization, also had ringing endorsements for the 38-year-old veteran.
“It means a lot,” Venable said. “I’m really excited about Tommy Pham coming. As you look at it broadly, our need for a right-handed bat against left-handed pitching is something we’re really excited about. And then the human being, the teammate, the edge he brings, kind of who he is as a total player. I think he’s going to make a real big impact here.”
Tommy Pham's off-field incidents shouldn't be a concern for the White Sox
Tommy Pham has been in baseball a long time and he’s been no stranger to controversy. His famous interaction with then-Giants outfielder Joc Pederson landed him a suspension, and Pham has feuded online with fellow players as recently as this season. But one thing that’s stuck out to me through all of the noise: the controversies and incidents surrounding Pham have almost exclusively happened with players on other teams, not teammates. The White Sox are very familiar with Pham as a teammate after seeing it firsthand and had no reservations about bringing him in, and that’s good enough for me. He's also no stranger to Postseason success.
Tommy Pham puts the @Royals ahead! #ALDS pic.twitter.com/9DQMkg2LYt
— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2024
From an on-field perspective, it’s a bit unclear how much Tommy Pham has left in the tank. He’s only gotten 13 at bats at the big league level this season and went hitless in that span, but posted respectable offensive numbers as recently as 2025 with the Pirates. Even if he’s nothing more than a platoon role player for this White Sox team, he brings a fire and energy that can be contagious for a young club looking to reach the postseason together for the first time. Who cares if players on other teams hate him?
Adding Pham to this roster isn’t going to make a massive difference in the performance of the White Sox young players, and it’s not likely to have a direct impact on the win-loss record due to on-field contributions. But there’s nothing wrong with adding some extra energy to a young team already full of it, and Pham’s value to the White Sox will stretch far beyond the field. Anything he can provide in the batter’s box will just be icing on the cake.
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