The Cardinals placing Tommy Pham on waivers was the best move for both sides

The St. Louis Cardinals decided to do the best thing possible for the club and for outfielder Tommy Pham today, placing the newly acquired old friend on waivers so that he can latch on with a contending team for the postseason.

There was a ton of speculation leading up to today regarding whether or not the Cardinals would place some of their veterans on waivers, and it remains to be seen whether or not they'll choose to do so with other players as well. The Cardinals have a less than 1% chance of making the playoffs according to FanGraphs, so clearing some roster clutter in anticipation of their 2025 club is a wise move.

The Cardinals will also save $850,000 in salary if Pham is claimed by another club on waivers, which seems like a done deal considering how impactful he can be for a contending club. Freeing up dollars during an uncertain financial situation as well as opportunity for young talent is in the Cardinals' best interest.

For Pham, the outfielder gets a chance to take on a bigger role with a club pushing for October baseball, something that should give him more life down the stretch and the opportunity to get another contract this offseason. With the Cardinals almost certainly not making the playoffs and his role being a part-time player for them, Pham's services will be best utilized elsewhere.

This adds to a really frustrating second half of the season for the Cardinals in what will almost certainly be another failure of a season. Pham was acquired along with Erick Fedde at the deadline for Tommy Edman in hopes of making the postseason, but the team has been in a tailspin since then. The Cardinals also recently designated Shawn Armstrong for an assignment, their return in the Dylan Carlson trade. Only Fedde remains from their deadline haul, who is under contract for 2025 as well.

Times are tough in St. Louis right now, and as the club sets new records with each game regarding a new low in attendance. We'll see if major chances come in the near future in St. Louis.