Phillies, A’s Agree to Trade Involving Former Top Prospect Cristian Pache

The center fielder won the 2021 World Series with the Braves.

One of baseball’s former top prospects has a new home.

The Phillies have acquired center fielder Cristian Pache from the Athletics in exchange for pitcher Billy Sullivan, the team announced Wednesday afternoon. The move came a mere 24 hours before Philadelphia’s season opener against the Rangers on Thursday afternoon.

Pache, 24, was ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the game by Baseball America entering the 2021 season with the Braves.

He struggled mightily in Atlanta, however, slashing .119/.157/.209 in 24 total games over the 2020 and ’21 seasons. After winning the World Series in ’21, the Braves dealt him to Oakland in the offseason as part of the four-player package that netted first baseman Matt Olson.

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Pache’s first year with the Athletics brought more struggles at the plate, as he slashed just .166/.218/.241 in 91 games. He did, however, acclimate himself defensively, finishing fourth in the American League in range factor per nine innings at his position.