White Sox make a late push, adding veteran bats Tommy Pham and Jake Cave

HOUSTON (AP) — The White Sox acquired outfielders Tommy Pham from the Phillies and Jake Cave from the Rays in trades for cash considerations on Monday.

The 38-year-old Pham signed with the Phillies in June and hit .250 with three homers and 25 RBIs at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. His stint in the organization came after he signed a minor league deal with the Orioles in May and was released about a month later.

The 13-year veteran opened this season with the Mets before being designated for assignment after going 0 for 13 with seven strikeouts.

“I’m really excited about Tommy Pham coming,” manager Will Venable said. “As you look at it broadly, our need for a right-handed bat versus left-handed pitching is something that we’re really excited about. And then the human being, the teammate, the edge that he brings, kind of who he is as a total player, I think he’s going to make a real big impact here.”

Both players were allowed to be traded following the Aug. 3 deadline because neither of them was on the 40-man roster. They will be eligible for the postseason because they joined the club before rosters expand on Tuesday.

Pham, who spent part of the 2024 season with the White Sox, is a career .256 hitter with 149 home runs and 522 RBIs.

Cave hit .245 with in 36 games with Triple-A Durham after joining the Rays on a minor league deal in June. He played in the Mexican League this season before signing with the Rays.

The 33-year-old is a career .251 hitter with 45 homers and 176 RBIs in seven major league seasons. He last played in the majors in 2024 and spent last season playing in South Korea.

“He’s another guy that’s got a ton of experience that we’re excited to add to the organization,” Venable said. “What his opportunity looks like with us up here in the future I can’t tell you, don’t really know, but excited to add him to the organization.”

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