Phillies Set To Trade Veteran Outfielder to White Sox

The Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox have completed their second trade of the season centered around an outfielder.

May 16, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski in the dugout before the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Phillies at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies are rolling right now, a season-high 17 games over the .500 mark as they enter their series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

With September near, the Phillies are going to get some reinforcements on the roster, with them expanding from 26 to 28. It will be interesting to see who is brought up to the Major Leagues, with a few intriguing options making strong cases in the minor leagues.

However, one player who won’t be helping Philadelphia down the stretch is Tommy Pham. That is because the veteran outfielder is being traded to the Chicago White Sox, according to MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN.

He shared the news on X, adding that the White Sox are expected to add Pham to their Big League roster when they expand on Sept. 1. Chicago will be the fourth organization that the veteran spends time with this year.

Phillies are trading Tommy Pham to the White Sox

Sep 5, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Tommy Pham (28) hits a RBI double against the Milwaukee Brewers during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He began the 2026 campaign with the New York Mets, where he appeared in nine games and didn’t record a hit in 12 at-bats before being granted free agency. The Baltimore Orioles signed him on May 16, but he didn’t make an appearance in the Major Leagues with them.

Not even a month later, Pham was released again on June 14. Just under two weeks later, the Phillies signed him on June 27 to a deal that had a July 25 opt-out. He didn’t exercise that and has been playing with Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the meantime.

While Pham didn’t get a call-up to Philadelphia, he is going to join the White Sox and help them with their playoff run. A lot of the qualities he would have brought to the Phillies will be appreciated on a Chicago squad that is greatly outperforming expectations.

Currently in first place in the American League Central, Pham is going to provide the team with much-needed veteran leadership and experience. He has been a stellar performer in the postseason throughout his career, producing a .315/.331/.492 slash line in 37 games and 136 plate appearances.

Trade news: The Chicago White Sox are acquiring outfielder Tommy Pham from the Philadelphia Phillies, sources tell ESPN. Pham is expected to join the White Sox when rosters expand Sept. 1. The 38-year-old rejoins the Sox after spending parts of 2026 with the Mets, O's and Phils.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 31, 2026

In his postseason career, Pham has hit six home runs and five doubles with 12 RBI. He has stolen seven bases without being caught a single time. The last time he appeared in a playoff game was in 2024 with the Kansas City Royals.

With Pham on the move, it will be interesting to see who, if any, position players are called up by Philadelphia. Otto Kemp has been up with the Big League team previously and could offer more versatility off the bench, or the team could just bolster the pitching depth and add two arms for the stretch run.

This is the second trade this year that the two franchises have made. The Phillies acquired outfielder Derek Hill from the White Sox after Adolis Garcia and Johan Rojas both suffered season-ending injuries.

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