**Trade Deadline Prediction: Braves Eye White Sox’s Tommy Pham**
When Ronald Acuña Jr. suffered a complete ACL tear in May, the Atlanta Braves lost their star hitter and outfielder for the remainder of the 2024 season. With the July 30 trade deadline approaching, the Braves are looking to fill the gap, and The Athletic’s Andy McCullough has suggested that the Chicago White Sox’s Tommy Pham could be a top target.
“Atlanta knows it can’t replace Ronald Acuña Jr. with one person,” McCullough wrote on July 2. “But they can try to remake him in the aggregate. Pham would improve the club’s performance against left-handed pitching. He can handle multiple outfield positions and plays with an edge. The Braves once traded for Joc Pederson to boost their offense en route to a championship, and this could be a similar move. What more do you need?”
After struggling with the Boston Red Sox in 2022, Pham had a comeback year with the New York Mets before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks at the deadline. He played in the 2023 World Series with the Diamondbacks, then became a free agent and signed a minor-league deal with the White Sox on April 15. He joined Chicago’s major-league roster on April 26 after triggering an opt-out in his contract.
This season with the White Sox, Pham has a slash line of .263/.343/.374 with 4 home runs and 16 RBIs in 190 at-bats. Although his performance has cooled since his strong start in Chicago, he remains a reliable player.
Braves Need to Address Roster Gaps at Trade Deadline
As of July 3, the Braves are second in the NL East with a 46-37 record, 9 games behind the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies (56-29). While a playoff berth is still possible, the Braves have several roster weaknesses that need urgent attention at the trade deadline.
With Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider out for the season due to injuries, the Braves need reinforcements in the outfield and starting rotation. The batting lineup also needs a boost, particularly against left-handed pitchers.
Pham could potentially address two of these needs. He can play multiple outfield positions and has power, batting .245 against left-handed pitchers since 2023. He’s on a one-year, low-cost contract with the White Sox, making him a likely rental player the Braves can acquire without giving up too much.
White Sox Expected to Trade Multiple Players at Deadline
On May 5, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the White Sox are expected to trade multiple players by the deadline, listing Tommy Pham, Erick Fedde, Chris Flexen, Mike Clevinger, Michael Kopech, and Eloy Jimenez as likely candidates.
The White Sox are in a deep rebuild, and their historically poor start to the 2024 season reflects that. As of July 3, Chicago holds the worst record in MLB at 24-63. To prepare for future seasons, they are expected to trade valuable players.
Pham is anticipated to attract attention at the deadline and is a very attainable target for the Braves. He has been traded at the deadline in each of the last two years and could make it three in a row.
