The St. Louis Cardinals were sellers at the trade deadline and got rid of rental relievers Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz, sending them to contending teams. In all likelihood, they will not make it to the postseason and be out for a third consecutive year. They could even finish below the .500 mark for the second time in the last three years.
However, they are mathematically still alive in the Wild Card race. St. Louis entered play on Wednesday just four games back of the New York Mets for the final spot. If they gain ground, they might be willing to make a move or two to improve the roster.
Waiver claims are still possible, but said player must be on his new team by the August 31 deadline for postseason eligibility. The Pittsburgh Pirates have outfielder Tommy Pham on their roster, who is putting together a solid season. Perhaps they could claim him off waivers if they want to make a push and it could make a difference.
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Cardinals potential Tommy Pham claim could shake up playoff race
Pham is hitting .260/.330/.363 with five home runs, 33 RBI, a 1.2 WAR and a .693 OPS this season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He can provide a little bit of power from the right side of the plate and could be not only a solid bench bat for St. Louis, but veteran leader in a very young clubhouse.
Pham began his Major League career in St. Louis back in 2014. He was with the team until he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. He has bounced around between the San Diego Padres, CIncinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Arizona Diamonbacks, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals.
The Cardinals traded for Pham at the deadline last year, and he hit a pinch-hit grand slam in his first at-bat back at Busch Stadium. But when they fell out of contention, they placed him on waivers and he was claimed by the Royals, who ultimately won a Wild Card spot and advanced to the ALDS to face the New York Yankees.
But if the Cardinals want to make a push, perhaps claiming Pham off waivers, should the Pirates put him there, would be a good idea to help some of their younger players grow in their careers.
We'll have to see what comes of this year's waiver period.