The news broke that December day that Giancarlo Stanton wouldn’t agree to a trade to St. Louis; meanwhile, Tommy Pham just kept doing pull-ups. There was the Cardinal, entrenched in their outfield, entranced by his workout regimen, up, down, up, down, plump biceps pulsating.

And on this video he posted on Instagram, Pham wrote a message: “I want 30 next year.” As in, he wants to hit 30 homers — only two Cardinals have done that since Albert Pujols left.

I love that Tommy Pham story. Heck, I love the Tommy Pham story. He’s about the closest thing to Rocky Balboa we’ve got — once a Cardinals player on the verge of being cut … he then perseveres with sneers, works out maniacally, has a vision, finds his vision and becomes a standout in his sport.

Yes, all baseball players lift weights. But there’s something fitting that it’s Pham who’s allowed fans along his journey this winter, as he’s posted numerous Instagram photos and videos of his workouts. He wants us to see everything from his hips and shoulders to the chip on his shoulder. He’s got one, right?

“Yes. Absolutely,” his performance coach, Marc Bommarito, said by phone from Florida. “I think a little of it has to do with what he’s shared with me, how he grew up and the expectations he has for himself.”

Pham turns 30 in March. It’s easy for some to presume he’ll become a one-year wonder, so as Bommarito said, “That is definitely the more current (reason) that he has the chip on his shoulder. On top of everything else that he’s had to this point. I can tell he was motivated last year – but even more so now. …

“He’s comparing himself to the top center fielders with everything from contracts to followers. He’s finding all things to motivate himself.”

We hear a lot about the psychology of sport – but there’s also the psychology of social media. The yearn for adoration, the endorphin from Instagram, each time someone “likes” your post. It’s a 21st century thing, to be sure. But it’s all fuel – work hard, show you’re working hard, get appreciated for working hard … and that motivates you to work hard, all over again.

Pham is one of the Cardinals who posts most often on social media — he’s @tphamLV on Instagram and Twitter — and this winter he’s taken us to both Las Vegas and Miami. In Sin City, he works out hardcore, so once the season starts, as Vegas trainer Reggie Hobson posted on Instagram, Pham can go “yardcore.” And in Miami, Pham trains at Bommarito Performance Systems, mostly with NFL players.

“He randomly just showed up at our facility (in 2016),” Bommarito said with a chuckle. “Like, I had nothing to do with it. I remember the security guard was like, ‘Hey I have someone who needs to meet you.’ And I didn’t know who Tommy was. … I thought the guy was messing with me. This was October or early November of 2016.

“He’ll prefer to work out with our NFL players because of the speed that they have, because he’s looking to improve his speed a lot. … He has the work ethic where he doesn’t need to be in a small group of guys who are going to compete. Normally that will help athletes, as opposed to training by themselves.”

My favorite of the Pham Instagrams? This past week, wearing all black and gray except for bright red shoes, Pham unleashed what Bommarito called “our jammer single arm rotational punch.” Pham stands like he’s in a batter’s box. But with his right elbow back, his right hand is holding a grip, which is hanging down from an apparatus. And — it’s attached to weights. Suddenly, “THWACK!” Pham unleashes his right arm, pushing the grip and weights forward. “THWACK!” He does it, again and again — seemingly, somehow, harder each time.

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“For throwing athletes, it’s a great way to build pressing power while maintaining trunk and hip stability, which he needs a lot of,” Bommarito explained. “That explosive motion is also similar to when he’s swinging a bat. Now, we’re not recreating the motion of the sport, we’re training the muscles he’s going to be using for it.”

Bommarito then pointed out one of his favorite of Pham’s workouts: “One of our linebackers, who’s really explosive, was doing a kneeling depth jump. (Pham is) on his knees, explodes up onto his leg, and then explodes up onto a box jump. I don’t see a lot of MLB videos of guys working on plyometrics like that.”

You’ve probably read about Pham’s dedication to speed, which Pham called “overspeed training.” He runs maniacally on the treadmill, like he’s chasing something. Man, he’s chasing everything: the National Central title; the baseball drilled over his head in center; the 30 homer-30 stolen base mark at age 30; Billy Hamilton and the other speedsters of the sport; unwavering respect.

Pham even runs — though doesn’t always run evenly — with Breshad Perriman, the NFL receiver who made headlines with a 4.25 40-yard dash at his pro day. When they race, does Pham ever win?

“He comes close,” Bommarito said diplomatically, not conceding defeat — simply acknowledging the chase.

Spring training is in the on-deck circle. Pham and the fellows will be in red shoes soon. Stat sites have made their projections — Pham’s numbers are good, but not as good as 2017. It will be hard to match 2017. But the journey into 2018 has been revealing. Tommy Pham is hungry.