Orioles agree to minor league deal with outfielder Tommy Pham

The Orioles and outfielder Tommy Pham agreed to a minor league deal on Saturday, a person familiar with the deal confirmed to The Banner.

Pham, 38, was designated for assignment by the New York Mets in April after playing in nine games and elected free agency. Now, he’ll have a chance to add depth to an Orioles outfield group that hasn’t generated much production offensively.

Once the deal is official, Pham will have an opt-out in early June, according to another person familiar with the deal.

ESPN was first to report Pham’s deal and his opt-out.

Earlier this week, the Orioles placed Dylan Beavers on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain. The Orioles activated catcher Maverick Handley to fill his spot, leaving their active roster with three catchers and four outfielders — Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill, Leody Taveras and Taylor Ward.

Manager Craig Albernaz said Friday he felt they had enough coverage with that group plus Blaze Alexander in an emergency. Still, president of baseball operations Mike Elias said they were looking at internal and external options to make up for the loss. One day later, they added Pham into the mix.

Pham, a 13-year major-league veteran, has a career .256 batting average with 149 homers and a .764 OPS. Since 2021, he’s played with 10 different organizations.