The Philadelphia Phillies did not have an ideal start to their 2023 season.
After jumping out to a 5-0 lead over the Texas Rangers, the Phillies’ pitching staff collapsed.
They gave up nine runs in the fourth inning and were never able to regain the lead after that.
Despite scoring seven runs and adding 12 hits in the game, starter Aaron Nola was unable to hold the lead.
After this tough loss on Opening Day, the Phillies made a roster move.
But, it was not for a pitcher.
The Phillies acquired outfielder Cristian Pache from the Oakland A’s on Wednesday.
Now that he has reported to the team, the Phillies are ready to see what he can do.
According to Matt Gelb, Pache will join the Phillies for their second game of the season on Saturday.
The Phillies optioned Dalton Guthrie to Triple A after the game. Cristian Pache will join the club for Saturday’s game.
—Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) March 31, 2023
Pache was eleven one of the top prospects in baseball when he was with the Atlanta Braves.
But, his inability to hit major league pitching has been a problem.
For this career, Pache has 308 at-bats, and a career batting average of .156.
But, where he has value is on defense.
Pache is an elite defensive center fielder, as you can see by his 80-grade fielding (20-80 scale) as a prospect.
The Phillies can use all the help they can get on defense, and Pache will be a plus in that aspect.
He is only 24 years old, so there is still hope he can turn things around at the plate.
If he can just be a league-average hitter for the Phillies, this trade is a steal for them.
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Alec Bohm Steps Up For The Phillies Right Away On Opening Day
