Cristian Pache's Journey to the Mets: A Comeback Story or a Long Shot?
The Mets have brought in Cristian Pache on a minor league contract, complete with a spring training invitation. This is a pretty standard move for a player looking to reignite a major league career that's hit a bit of a standstill. Pache, who last played in the majors in 2024, is aiming to secure a spot on the roster after a challenging season with the Diamondbacks.
If his name sounds familiar, it's likely because Pache has spent time with several of the Mets' rivals, making him no stranger to the National League East. Once a highly-touted prospect, he signed for $1.4 million as an international free agent back in 2015. MLB.com even ranked him as the tenth-best international free agent that year! He made his debut with the Braves in 2020 and played for Atlanta for parts of two seasons. During that time, his offensive numbers weren't stellar, with a slash line of .119/.157/.209. He was then traded to the Athletics in March 2022 as part of the big Matt Olson deal.
His most extensive playing time in a single season came with the then-Oakland A's, where he played 91 games. His stats there were .166/.218/.241. Later, he was traded to the Phillies. Interestingly, 2023 marked his best offensive season, hitting .238/.319/.417 with a 98 wRC+ and a career-best 0.5 fWAR in 48 games. He started 2024 with Philadelphia but was then traded to the Orioles. After just three games with Baltimore, he was designated for assignment and landed with the Marlins, where he finished out 2024, posting a .183/.234/.283 line. Following that, he signed with Arizona and spent the entire year in their minor league system before becoming a free agent and ultimately joining the Mets.
But here's where it gets complicated... Pache can play all three outfield positions, but he's spent most of his career in center field (191 of his 241 games). His versatility in the outfield is his main asset, and you can see why the Mets might have envisioned him as a solid fourth outfielder. However, the recent signing of Luis Robert Jr. shifted Tyrone Taylor into that fourth outfielder role, making Pache's path to the big leagues a bit steeper. And if that wasn't enough, the Mets also signed MJ Melendez to a major league deal, pushing him ahead of Pache on the depth chart. Melendez is more suited for corner outfield spots and would likely get playing time there before Pache.
And this is the part most people miss... Pache's offensive game is, to put it mildly, a work in progress. He strikes out a lot (a career 30.8% K%) and doesn't walk much (a career 7.2% BB%). He's also not much of a basestealing threat, with five career stolen bases and five times caught stealing. His power numbers are also quite low, with only seven career home runs and a .093 ISO. However, his defense is where he truly shines. He's a very strong defender, with a 4 OAA in 2024, 4 OAA in 2023, and 6 OAA in 2022. In 2022, his arm strength was in the 92nd percentile, and he also ranked above average in OAA and arm value.
Given the current outfield situation, Pache's best bet for playing time with the Mets would likely involve an injury to Robert or Taylor, or if the left field options don't pan out and Taylor moves to a corner spot. Otherwise, it's probable he'll spend most of the year in Triple-A or might not even be on the team's roster.
What do you think? Is Pache's defense enough to earn him a spot, or is his offensive struggle too big of a hurdle for the Mets? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
