When the Oakland Athletics traded first baseman Matt Olson to the Atlanta Braves before the start of the 2022 season, they acquired pitching prospects Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes, catcher Shea Langeliers, and outfielder Cristian Pache.
Langeliers was always seen as the centerpiece, but Pache was a former top prospect and was still considered a very nice second player.
That status, his good glove, and his spring didn’t help him make the A’s, though.
“Cristian Pache, out of options, will not open with the A’s, Kotsay said. Brent Rooker and Conner Capel will be on the opening roster,” Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted.
Cristian Pache, out of options, will not open with the A’s, Kotsay said. Brent Rooker and Conner Capel will be on the opening roster.
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) March 28, 2023
It’s a rather surprising turn of events, especially since Pache is out of minor league options.
We will have to see what the decision is on his future, but he remains a good bet for the future even if he fails to establish himself as a regular.
Pache performed well in the spring, slashing .302/.362/.419 in 43 at-bats.
On top of that, he is a strong defensive center fielder, without question the best in the A’s organization.
Rooker and Capel might be better players than Pache, who had a horrendous .459 OPS last season, at the moment.
But the Athletics are not trying to win today: their main job should be giving promising prospects like Pache a platform to learn and improve.
This decision could cost them in the long-term.
If they end up losing a potential future contributor just because they didn’t include him on the roster, it could be another mistake for Oakland.
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