MLB News: Ex-Mets likely to spark a bidding war

Former Mets outfielder Tommy Pham was outspoken last season. He also backed up his words with his play, which suddenly makes him one of the most sought-after hitters in free agency.

On Tuesday, Pham, who the Mets traded to the Diamondbacks ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, was a guest on MLB insiders Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman’s podcast “The Show.” There, he revealed that his agent has spoken with around 10 teams who are interested in his services, though he wouldn’t say which.

What he did emphasize is that he wants to go somewhere where he’ll play every day.

“I don’t view myself as a platoon player,“ Pham said. “I’m not comfortable going into a situation where they’re saying, ‘Hey, you’re only going to play against lefties.’ I still want to play every day. That’s most important to me. Then winning, of course.”

Pham has always been very outspoken, which some view as a problem.

In June, Pham appeared to have sent a veiled message to his Mets teammates, whom he later called the “least-hardest working group.” With the team struggling, Pham posted a three-hit game against the Rockies. He added two hits, both home runs, in his next two games against the Phillies and the Blue Jays.

The Mets went 1-3 in those games, prompting Pham to say:

“When I’m not swinging well, I’m spending hours in that [batting] cage,” he said, via the New York Post. “I haven’t been playing and look at my hands: They’re beat up [and] blistered. You’ve got to work if you’re underperforming. You’ve got to work your way out of the funk.”

Then, while with the Diamondbacks in the World Series, he compared his current team to the Mets.

“The drive wasn’t there [with the Mets],” he said, via Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “That drive is here [with the Diamondbacks]. That’s what separates this team from most teams. You have guys that are still trying to get better every day. You have teammates trying to help you out. And that’s dangerous.”

In 121 games between the Mets and the Diamondbacks, Pham batted .256 with 46 extra-base hits, including 16 home runs, and a .774 OPS. It was easily his best season since 2019.