Tommy Pham makes smash-bang introduction as Pirates set expectation to 'win in the margins'

BRADENTON, Fla. — The message manager Derek Shelton delivered to the Pittsburgh Pirates before the first full-squad workout of spring training was about the expectation of winning, a new mantra for a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2018.

After following back-to-back 100-loss seasons with successive 76-win seasons, the Pirates believe they are close to contending for the postseason for the first time since 2015. But everyone here is hyper-aware they have little room for error, especially with a payroll that perennially ranks among the bottom third of the major leagues.

“I think you win in the margins, very much so,” Shelton said. “We have to win those margins.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton on his message to the team before the first full-squad workout of spring training at Pirate City: “I think you win in the margins … and we have to win those margins.” pic.twitter.com/uevzvq157p

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 17, 2025

Whether it was an ineffective offense or blown leads by the bullpen, their 26 one-run losses last season caused the Pirates to target free agents who have postseason experience with multiple teams. They re-signed designated hitter Andrew McCutchen and signed left-handed relievers Caleb Ferguson and Tim Mayza, infielder Adam Frazier and outfielder Tommy Pham to exemplify how the difference between winning and losing is in the details.

“Obviously, I’ve never made the postseason but it’s a big step to actually do it and experience it,” Pirates two-time All-Star outfielder Bryan Reynolds said. “To get there, you’ve got to win the close games. So adding guys who’ve done it and been on teams in the playoffs, they’ve won those close games. They’ve got that experience that I don’t have.”

When Braxton Ashcraft hung a breaking ball, Pham hammered home the message in a live batting practice Monday morning at Pirate City, hitting a home run that sailed well over 400 feet, clearing the 25-foot fence in left-center at Roberto Clemente Field and landing on the metal roof of the clubhouse for a smash-bang introduction.

In his first full-squad workout with the Pirates, Tommy Pham faces Braxton Ashcraft and puts one over the fence in left-center and onto the roof of the clubhouse at Pirate City. pic.twitter.com/CA9YRgcyio

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 17, 2025

“That’s Tommy,” said Frazier, who played with Pham in San Diego and Kansas City. “He’s intense. He shows up here Day 1 ready to make an impact and show people what he can do. He’s here to get work done and get better. That’s going to lead to wins.

“We’ve got to show up in these spring training games ready to win because that carries over into the season. If you’re playing these games hard and trying to win in the spring and doing things the right way, it carries over into the season. And we need that. We need that to start now. I think he just showed up and made a statement on Day 1.”

That the Pirates project Pham, who turns 37 on March 8, to start in left field is evidence that their rebuilding phase is incomplete. This is his 10th team in 12 seasons, and he batted .248/.305/.368 with 20 doubles, nine homers and 39 RBIs for the Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Royals last season. Pham has never been an All-Star but has batted .315/.331/.492 in 37 postseason games with five teams, reaching the 2023 World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the ALDS with the Royals last year.

That’s why the Pirates targeted Pham, who said he picked Pittsburgh over San Diego because of the opportunity to play and the money ($4 million on a one-year deal). Pham said playing against the Pirates last season opened his eyes that this team is “really close.”

Outfielder Tommy Pham, on what he brings to the Pirates: pic.twitter.com/Pynj1fqG4B

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 17, 2025

What does Pham bring to the Pirates?

“Just me,” Pham said. “I have a competitive edge. I’m a pro, and I think a lot of guys — especially (because) this team is so young — you can learn a lot just from watching me.”

Frazier ticked off Pham’s attributes: He plays hard, plays the right way, expects greatness and knows how to win. The Pirates are counting on those traits to rub off on their younger players, which Shelton said is one of the reasons they targeted Pham in free agency.

“I think the biggest thing you can say about Tommy Pham is he’s a winner,” Shelton said. “He drives not only himself, but he has an expectation for his teammates to win. That was important to put in our clubhouse.”

Pham’s blast was the highlight of the Pirates’ first workout and the talk of the locker room. Pitchers Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, Caleb Ferguson and Paul Skenes were sitting in the outfield grass when his shot sailed over them, and they celebrated by raising their arms in unison and circling their fingers to signal a home run.

The addition of another veteran leader was welcomed by the Pirates’ longest-tenured player.

“We need guys like that around the clubhouse,” said McCutchen, 38, a five-time All-Star and the 2013 NL MVP. “As much as I like to lead, I don’t like to lead all the time. It’s good to just have other people who lead in their way. I’m not feeling like I’ve got to wear a bunch of different masks and suits to try to help the team in any way that I can.

“So it’s good to just go out with those guys and have them around. Obviously, they’re going to be very helpful. They’re going to be able to help a lot of guys in a lot of different ways. This is a young team, but we’re not that young. We’ve got some guys who have been around for a little bit now. They don’t always need guidance. Sometimes they just need a little bit of encouragement here and there.”