The Marlins sent outfielder Cristian Pache outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, as reflected on the MLB.com transaction log. Miami designated the former top prospect for assignment yesterday with Dane Myers returning from the injured list.
Miami claimed Pache off waivers from the Orioles shortly after the trade deadline. The defensive stalwart appeared in 35 games for the Fish. As has been the case at every MLB spot, he didn’t contribute offensively. Pache hit .183/.234/.283 in 64 plate appearances. He’s now a career .181/.243/.275 hitter in 251 big league contests spanning parts of five seasons.
Pache, 25, haș appeared with five MLB teams over that stretch. One of the headlining pieces in the Matt Olson trade between the Braves and A’s, he has simply never developed at the plate. Pache’s prospect stock was built largely on his perceived floor as an elite defensive center fielder. He has indeed proven a gifted defender — 11 Defensive Runs Saved and 17 Outs Above Average in a little more than 1500 career innings — but his bat has been so light that he’s limited to a fifth outfielder role.
While this was the fourth time in which Pache has been squeezed off a roster, it’s the first time he’s gone unclaimed on waivers. His three-plus years of MLB service give him the right to elect free agency. There’s no indication he’ll do so right now, but that’s immaterial. Pache will qualify for minor league free agency at the end of the season regardless. Unless the Marlins call him back up within the next few days, he’ll hit the market.
Pache will probably be limited to minor league offers at this point. He’s out of options, so if a team were to sign him to a big league deal, they’d need to carry him on the MLB roster or put him back on waivers. His glove and former prospect status should lead to plenty of interest as a non-roster depth player.
Christian Pache will be fine. Word on the street is that his agent has him practicing his dance moves, hoping that he may be able to join the “Savanah Bananas” in time for their musical remake of “The Natural”.
I’m old enough to remember when he was considered untouchable by braves fans. Fans will never learn when it comes to overvaluing prospects.
Old enough? If you are at least 12 you probably remember braves fans saying that.
Worth a look?? What has done to warrant that whitesox have enough problems and shouldn’t be looking at a .180 hitter.
Hitting at an MLB level is very difficult.
Most people, regardless of their absurd athletic abilities, just don’t have the neurological physiology to allow them to do it.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37400077/
With the garbage CF free agent crop this year, Pache would be a solid signing as depth or defense. I’d rather have him than Bader. At least 1/10th the price for equal defense, plus I think Pache can get better with more opportunities while I think this year was the best Bader will ever be.
“Pache can get better”…Despite what many people say about Harrison Bader, he’s established himself as a very useful player(CF defensive whiz) whereas Christian Pache has not. Bader hits just enough to play regularly.
It wouldn’t shock me if Pache improved, but I wouldn’t like my favorite team to be the one’s banking on it or paying for it.
100% understand. But, I’d rather have Pache for say $1 million vs paying potentially $10 million/year or more for multiple years for Bader. Or like $8 million maybe for a multi year deal.
Just from a roster building standpoint, I’d rather use the payroll difference to invest in players that will offset the offensive limitations.
Now I’m not saying Pache is signed as starter off the bat, but if the Pirates can have Taylor for a whole year, Pache is a bargain for what his strengths are.
Pache hasnt been given the opportunity to get extended playing time in the grass. If given the opportunity, I think he could be on par or even better than Bader. He has great range, good speed, and a solid arm. I haven’t seen too much since his Braves days besides his limited MLB action, but in the minors the dude had amazing reads and seemed to just be natural CFer.
“Roster build standpoint”…You raise some very solid points and reasons. When a team is truly confident in a player it often makes sense to give him an opportunity to justify your thinking. There’s more than 1 way to skin a cat.
For what it’s worth, I’m not sure anyone would be paying Bader $10M to be a 4th OF, so if you’re giving Pache $1M to be 4th-5th OF then who are you getting to address CF?
A career .518 OPS in 250 games is just not rosterable on a four man bench. Back in the days of six man benches, Pache would have had steady work as a defensive replacement and pinch runner for a team with a big lumbering LF. His best scenario is a AAA deal with a playoff contender with a poor farm system as a September/playoff call up. Houston would make a lot of sense, for example.
Your take is garbage it’s about as equal to paches value to a team delusional if u think pache is better than bader what clown
You’re a very rude person. I hope you get hit by a bus.
@8
Well, that’s rude of you.
Proportional response.
If Pache doesn’t start hitting at the highest level quick he will be out of MLB for good soon enough.
I would take a flyer with him back in Atlanta and see if he could part of a platoon with Kelenic in LF. We have to cut cost somewhere to add the starting pitching we need.
I wouldn’t. Idk why they have to cut cost really to add pitching. They have Morton and Fried coming off books (presumably). They could easily just apply that towards pitching. Look at all the pitchers that signed for under 20m this season and had good years. Wouldn’t you rather they just re-sign Laureano? You could cut bait with Bummer even if necessary and afford 2 right handed platoon options for that 6 mil “savings”. Laureano is a good defender who has actually shown some ability to hit at times, unlike Pache. As for pitching all the prospects are a year older and I’m all for Holmes getting a shot. I would argue even Eli White is better than Pache.