Mets replace Tommy Pham with former Giants, Yankees .717 OPS outfielder originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
On Sunday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reported that veteran outfielder Tommy Pham was designated for assignment by the New York Mets.
That gave the Mets wiggle room to add someone to the 26-man roster. On Sunday night, The Athletic's Will Sammon broke the news that they had agreed to a contract with a 33-year-old outfielder.
"The Mets and outfielder Austin Slater are in agreement on a deal, league sources tell The Athletic," Sammon wrote on X.
The Mets will be Slater's third time in just over a month. He signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers but was released after spring training.
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Things didn't work out for the better with the Miami Marlins, who cut ties with Slater after he hit just .174 with nine strikeouts in 28 trips to the plate.
New York hopes the 10-year veteran can be a spark off the bench and against left-handed pitching. In 2021, 10 of Slater's 12 home runs with the San Francisco Giants were against southpaws.
In nine games, Pham went hitless in 14 plate appearances. This was his second stint with the Mets after playing 79 games with the NL East club in 2023.
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