Cardinals Place Pham on Waivers

If you weren't sure if the St. Louis Cardinals were looking toward 2025, today should be a prime indicator.

On Thursday, it was reported by Katie Woo of the Athletic that the Cardinals plan to place outfielder Tommy Pham on waivers. The move may sound confusing after just welcoming him back into the organization, but it's not as farfetched as it seems.

Pham was acquired at the MLB Trade Deadline along with Erick Fedde from the Chicago White Sox in a rare three team trade that included the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cardinals moved Tommy Edman to L.A. to acquire the two players from the struggling White Sox.

The Cardinals have struggled since the Trade Deadline going 10-15 heading into Thursday series finale game with the San Diego Padres. This has pushed the team out of contention for the NL Central with the Milwaukee Brewers and over five games behind the final spot in the National League Wildcard standings.

By placing Pham on waivers, it allows him to get on a contending team before the rosters lock in September. Any player who is signed with the organization before September 1st is eligible for the postseason. Since Pham is a pending free agent, this will allow the Cardinals to possibly rid themselves of the remaining salary of his contract for the rest of the season.

Since the team Is 'punting' for the rest of the season, filling Pham's spot on the active roster with a young and upcoming player would make a ton of sense for the Cardinals as they prepare for an important offseason for the franchise. The team will look to fill the roster spot before heading to the Bronx to face the New York Yankees over the weekend.