Tommy Pham effectively passed a series of physicals this weekend, but the Padres’ trade for the outfielder remains in limbo due to the team’s lingering concerns over the health of his elbow.

“We’re still working through some final details but hope to have some clarity on that in the next 24 hours,” General Manager A.J. Preller said Monday at the Baseball Winter Meetings at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. “… When we made the trade, we made the trade with the players involved. I don’t expect anything to change between now and the time we move forward. But we just have to finish the process up.”

The acquisition of Pham and minor league infielder/pitcher Jake Cronenworth from the Tampa Bay Rays, in exchange for outfielder Hunter Renfroe, minor league infielder Xavier Edwards and a player to be named later, was agreed upon in principle Thursday night.

Rays General Manager Erik Neander told the Tampa Bay Times that Pham’s off-season rehab and progress with his elbow has progressed as expected and they considered the deal complete.


“It’s final,” Neander told the Times. “I don’t have any reason to believe that it wouldn’t be.”

Generally, any questions regarding the health of a player are resolved before a trade is announced.

The Padres initially did not expect the official trade announcement to be made until this week due to the need for the physical process to be completed. While it was ultimately decided to make the announcement Friday, the agreement between the teams contained contingencies in the event the Padres determined Pham’s elbow was not fit.

Those could include the trade being altered or negated, that latter of which several Padres sources have said is highly unlikely.


The 31-year-old played in 145 games and was one of just 40 major league players with at least 650 plate appearances, hitting .273 with a .818 OPS in the process. But he missed time and regularly served as the Rays’ designated hitter late in the season due to a right elbow strain and small fracture in his right hand.

Pham underwent a series of examinations — in San Diego on Saturday and on Sunday in Dallas with elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister. A league source said Pham “passed” his physical with Meister and was told he would be healthy for spring training. However, the Padres’ medical staff has not cleared Pham.

“We just want to make sure everything is straightforward,” Preller said. “There are a few final questions that our medical staff has to look at, that I’m looking at. We’ll communicate with the Rays here … and look to have Tommy as part of our club.”

The Padres have Pham, one of five players with at least 21 home runs and 25 stolen bases in 2019, slotted to play left field and bat in the top third of their order. His 3.7 wins above replacement (WAR) last season would have been second highest on the Padres behind Fernando Tatis Jr. (4.2).


This is a significant transaction for the Padres, who have identified 2020 as a season in which they expect to transition into a contender.

Pham’s acquisition, along with that of outfielder Trent Grisham as part of a trade last month, helps the Padres address their need for outfielders that produce against right-handed pitchers. The Padres’ .234 average against righties was tied for lowest in the majors in ’19. Pham has batted .271/.356/.471 against right-handers in his career.

His .66 walks per strikeout would have led the Padres last season, and his .369 on-base percentage would have been second to Tatis (.379 in almost 300 fewer plate appearances than Pham.) The Padres’ .308 OBP ranked 26th in the majors, the first time in six seasons they were not last.

“Competitive at-bats, the ability to impact the game in multiple ways,” Preller said Monday. “A guy that can steal a base. Obviously, the ability to get on base through walks. We’ve struggled with that the last few years.”

