Free Agent Tommy Pham Signs With 10th Team in 5 Years

He's baaaack. You can't keep Tommy Pham off an MLB roster for very long. When one team cut ties with him, another is sure to come along before long. After being DFA'd late last month by the New York Mets, the 13-year veteran has signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles. It's his 10th team in the past five years, and 11th overall in the majors.

Tommy Pham signs a minor league deal with the Orioles, per @JonHeyman

If Pham makes the big leagues, Baltimore will be his 11th team, which would be the most by an MLB hitter since Matt Stairs (12) pic.twitter.com/4hrPNJKP11
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 16, 2026

Pham has a June 12th opt-out in his deal if the Orioles haven't called him up to the majors.

The move was made necessary after the Orioles were forced to place Dylan Beavers on the injured list with a right oblique strain that could keep him out for some time.

Pham went 0-for-13 in nine games for the Mets this season, and elected free agency two days after they designated him for assignment.

He actually played a full season in one place last year for the first time in half a decade, when he suited up with the Pittsburgh Pirates for 120 games. He posted 10 homers and a .700 OPS. But he also showed, even at the age of 37 last year, that he can still go get it in the outfield, as he was named a National League Gold Glove finalist in left.

Orioles, in need of outfield depth, sign Tommy Pham

The O's active roster currently has Taylor Ward, Colton Cowser, Leody Taveras and Tyler O’Neill as the outfield contingent, so we'll see if Pham gets a call to the big club.

Over his 13 major league seasons, the 38-year-old is a career .256 hitter with a .764 OPS and an OPS+ of 109 (9% better than average), along with 149 home runs in 1,250 games. He spent the first six years of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, but has jumped around from team to team since 2019. He's played for the Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, and the Pirates as well as the Mets.