REDBIRD REVIEW
Greetings. The Cardinals have been browsing the aisles in search of a roster fit. The merchandise, in this instance, is a right-handed hitting outfielder.
If this outfielder could be used as a utility piece for the infield, that would be a bonus. But the options that fit that description are few.
The list of available right-handed hitting, free agent outfielders is thinning out. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim could fill the void through a trade – but who would he target? I have no idea.
So let’s take a look at the available RH bats, the free agents, who can play the outfield. A late note: as I was preparing this piece, one of the outfielders, Austin Slater, signed a minor-league deal with the Tigers. And the supply may dwindle again by the time I finish writing this.
Potential options:
Tommy Pham
Age: the former Cardinal is 38.
Positives: Dude is an intense competitor, highly motivated, cerebral, and has an edge. Pham doesn’t require additional inspiration to keep going – he loves playing ball – but he’d like to become a 200-homer, 200-steals guy. He can play all three outfield positions but hasn’t been used in center since 2024. Pham can be streaky but his hot stretches can carry an offense. Last season, as a Pirate, Pham slugged .430 over the final three months and performed 16 percent above league average offensively. In 2025 he had a 47.2% hard‑hit rate (76th percentile) and a 91.6 mph average exit velocity (84th percentile). His bat speed was quick enough; 73.4 mph (68th percentile.) In 2025 Pham registered his best contact rate in a full season since 2019. Some numbers have declined, but Pham still has plenty of game.
Negatives? Pham crushed lefties for a long time, but over the past two seasons, his level of offense against LHP was 13% below league average. But is that an accurate reading? Pham had a high walk rate, kept strikeouts down, and was obviously victimized by unfair batted-ball luck – as evidenced by his outlier .245 average on balls in play. Pham is no longer a plus defender, but his overall defense is adequate. The numbers tell us he’s a below-average baserunner.