Every year, or at least every year since 2012, we’ve taken some time after the season was over to look at the past 162 games through the lens of the players that played them (and the management that was in charge of them). Last year, the Exit Interview series spent less time digging into splits and finding numerical oddities and more time reflecting on the player and their season. It was a style that seemed to work so we’re going to bring it back again this year. The legendary cardinalsgifs is back to bring us excellent series art, so it’s all downhill after you see that!
Player: Tommy Pham
Stats (w/Cards): 23 G, 77 PA, 7 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, .206/.286/.268, -0.3 bWAR
Statcast (all): 7.2% barrel, 32.2% sweet spot, 112.9 max exit velocity, .297 wOBA, .323 xwOBA, 22.2 K%, 7.3 BB%
Grade: C
You couldn’t have scripted it any better. The gruff, hard-edged player, who left town years ago in part because of that edge, getting a chance to come back. Getting that chance because players in the dugout, players that he didn’t even play with, were asking for him by name to fill a gap in leadership, in accountability, in general chutzpah that the club needed. The Cardinals had to finagle the deal for Erick Fedde to make sure they got Pham, which is one reason Tommy Edman went (at least straight) to Los Angeles. After all that, Pham hurries to St. Louis and gets to the game late but pinch-hits with the bases loaded, two outs, the club down by three, and smashes one. Welcome home, Tommy Pham.
The next day, he got three hits. The day after, two. It looked like everything was going to be all right. And then, well, it wasn’t. Over the next 18 games he hit .118 with a .416 OPS. If the Cardinals were still contending, they probably would have kept him around. Since they weren’t, they put him on waivers so he could catch on with a playoff contender, which turned out to be the Royals. He did get to play in the playoffs, though he didn’t do much until his final game when he went 3-3, but at least he had the opportunity.
What’s in store for 2025: Odds are someone out there will take Pham for his leadership and his bat still has a little life. The White Sox got him on a minor league deal last winter and it would seem likely that’s the sort of deal he’ll get this winter as well.
