GOODYEAR, Ariz. — New Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham freely admits he’ll be playing with a big chip on his shoulder this season.
The 34-year-old free agent got a big league job less than two weeks before opening day, signing Saturday as the Reds try to fill a spot where a pair of All-Stars recently departed.
Right fielder Nick Castellanos signed this month with Philadelphia as a free agent and left fielder Jesse Winker was traded to Seattle.
“I am going to approach this season as a revenge tour,” Pham said. “I’m playing to get my numbers, man. I’m being dead honest with you. There is nothing selfish about it. In the past I put up some really good seasons.
“I’m playing to get some numbers. I don’t care about anything else. I’m looking out for me. At the end of the day baseball is going to move on without me. I have to get mine right now.”
The 34-year-old Pham is an eight-year veteran, spending the last two with the San Diego Padres. He hit .229 last year with 24 doubles, 15 homers, 49 RBI, 74 runs and 14 stolen bases.
Pham is a career .265 hitter with 97 homers and 300 RBI. His best season was 2017, when he hit .306 with 23 homers and 73 RBI for the St. Louis Cardinals.
“You know, it’s easy to say my best years are behind me,” Pham said. “Physically, I can still run. I have my athleticism when we tested it this offseason. I’m still expecting big things from myself. This is a year for me to prove it to myself as well.”
Pham is expected to add speed and power to the Reds’ lineup in the outfield with Nick Senzel in center and Tyler Naquin in right. He also will be part of the team’s mix at DH.
“I have a lot of catching up to do,” Pham said. “I’m going to be on these back fields a lot. I have to get my game right, offense, defense. Everyone in baseball pretty much got a two-week head start from me.”
Said Reds manager David Bell: “He’s going to play a lot.”