Former A's, Braves Outfielder Cristian Pache Elects Free Agency

Jason Burke | Oct 3, 2024

Sep 11, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Marlins center fielder Cristian Pache (20) signs autographs before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Back in 2021, Cristian Pache was the No. 12 prospect in baseball for the Atlanta Braves according to MLB Pipeline. A year later he was headed to the Oakland A's as part of the return for Matt Olson, along with catcher Shea Langeliers and right-handers Joey Estes and Ryan Cusick.

The A's put Pache in center to begin the 2022 season, but at the end of June he was hitting just .159 with a .203 OBP, so the club optioned him to the minors. He played a bit in the final month of the season with a modest improvement, but was still batting below .200.

In 2023, he came into camp out of minor-league options, and he would either make the team or get traded. At the time, it felt like Pache wasn't getting enough of an opportunity to shine, so when they traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies for Billy Sullivan, it was a bit of a letdown. The defense he'd shown, along with the personality he showcased, were easy to grasp onto.

Turns out that the A's made the right call. Not only has Pache been unable to find his footing in the big leagues, but the player that made the roster instead of Pache ended up being Brent Rooker, who has been one of the best hitters in baseball the past two seasons.

Pache was decent in '23 with the Phillies, batting .238 with a .319 OBP while facing mostly left-handers. In 2024 he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles at the deadline, only to be designated for assignment on August 1.

The Miami Marlins picked him up the next day, and had him start in center, primarily against southpaws the rest of the season. He got into 35 games and went 11-for-60 (.183) in his time with the Marlins. Miami DFA'd him on September 24, and sent him to Triple-A the next day.

Pache has since elected free agency, and will be a fascinating player to follow. He's still just 25 and provides a ton of defensive value at a premium position. He's just having a hard time with the bat. The assumption here is that he'll land a minor league deal, but there should be a number of teams that could be interested in working with him to find a swing that works so that Pache can reach some of his potential.