Padres could welcome back forgotten former San Diego outfielder ahead of trade deadline

With a list of potential outfield candidates that could fit the Friars, one former Padre has been mentioned recently due to continuous praise from MLB Insider Jon Morosi. Not only did Morosi suggest that Pham could return to San Diego on MLB Network's afternoon show MLB Now, but he highlighted Pham's proven record of reaching the postseason with new teams after being acquired.

First on X, then later on MLB Now, Morosi explained that Pham was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks before the 2023 deadline and helped the DBacks reach the World Series. Pham was traded again before the 2024 deadline to the St. Louis Cardinals where he was waived and subsequently claimed in August by the Kansas City Royals, helping them reach the ALDS.

Morosi's point? That Pham holds the secret ingredient for teams vying for the postseason. Even the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pham's current team, tweeted about Pham's recent offensive output since June 22nd. As for the 2025 season, Pham has a batting average of .273 with 29 RBIs for the Pirates, and is their starter at left field.

Should Padres attempt to reunite with Tommy Pham ahead of 2025 trade deadline?

There are so many spectacular and available outfielders this trade deadline that it’s easy to overlook Tommy Pham. At 37 years of age, trading for Pham doesn’t make much sense for the long term, but Morosi is simply telling the Padres that the time is now. Every year is different, and players like Pham, who have a tendency to raise others’ play another notch, even for a star-studded team like the Padres, might be worth trading for. With multiple teams competing for the same big names, the price for Pham might be low.

Could Padres President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller give Pham the nod over other big names like Steven Kwan and Luis Robert Jr.? Only time will tell, but if multiple outfielders begin to move throughout the MLB, Pham might be a great fallback. Of course, it’s not Preller’s nature to settle. Still, numbers don’t lie, and for Pham, his numbers are about the postseason, plain and simple.