Cristian Pache in Left?
The lineup for Thursday's game against the Kansas City Royals had a mix of starters, guys on the cusp of the roster, and players destined for Triple-A to begin the season. There was also one thing that really stood out, and that was Cristian Pache starting in left field.
It was so odd in fact, that manager Mark Kotsay was asked why he was over there instead of in center. He told reporters before the game, "We've got two above-average centerfielders in Ruiz and Pache and we're going to see what it looks like for Pache in left today."
After the game, Kotsay said Pache looked comfortable in left field, adding, "I think if that role exists on this club, if he's going to be a part of that rotation in the outfield, I think it's good for him to see a different view from left field."
It feels pretty easy to deem Pache the better player in center, because his defense isn't matched by that many players. Ruiz is good, but he's still learning the position after playing on the infield until 2019. Pache is arguably one of the best in baseball in center.
This has led some to question what the A's are doing in sliding Pache over to left when he is the better defender, and defense has been his calling card in the majors so far. From what I can tell, and this is speculation, but it would appear that the A's are considering doing a Pache and Seth Brown platoon in left field, which is something that I brought up a few weeks ago.
The quick version of that article is that Seth Brown wasn't good against left-handed pitching last season, batting .174 with a .232 OBP while striking out 30.3% of the time. He was also 40% below league average against lefties, compared to 29% above league average against righties.
Pache didn't excel against lefties either, but he hit them well enough to be an upgrade over Brown. He batted .220 with a .281 OBP, struck out just 15.7% of the time, and held a 77 wRC+ (23% below league average). Because his defense is so special, even that stat line could be good enough to have him see time in a platoon with Brown in the hope that it'll click for the 24-year-old.
Pache is out of options, and the A's, as they should be, are looking for a way to keep him on the roster and give him a chance to stick. They knew his flaws and how many options he had when they acquired him in the Matt Olson deal. It would be dumb to give up on him after one season in the organization.
Finding Pache a role on the club come Opening Day is part of the equation for why he'd be manning left field in spring training so that the coaches can get a look.
The other part of the equation here has to be that if Esteury Ruiz also makes the club, then the A's would prefer to have Ruiz stay put in center full time, while Brown and Pache take turns in left. The idea here is to limit the number of tasks Ruiz has to think about. If he was splitting time in left and center, dependent upon the handedness of the starting pitcher that day, that would have him learning two positions at the big league level while also trying to hit a little better than he did in his Major League debut last season (.171/.194/.257 in 36 plate appearances).
If that is what's going on, it makes sense to a degree. When Ruiz gets more comfortable at the dish, the team could also explore having Ruiz in left when Pache is in center.
It may also seem counterintuitive to take Pache and have him play left field at the end of camp. He'd be playing a new position while needing to get off to a good start with the bat in his own right. That's true, but left field is also a less demanding position than center, and Pache is so gifted with the glove that he may be able to play left in his sleep, so he'll be well rested for his at-bats.
The other factor here is that Kotsay and the A's coaches could also be deciding between Ruiz and Brent Rooker as the fourth outfielder on this club. Rooker is batting .375 with a .559 OBP in 34 plate appearances this spring. He also has five doubles, nine walks, and ten strikeouts. Rooker would be a more traditional platoon partner for Brown in left, so if he made the team and the A's optioned Ruiz to Vegas, then Pache would play in center on a more full time basis.
Rooker, 28, has one option remaining.
The only certainties in the outfield are Seth Brown in left, Ramón Laureano in right. There's also a high likelihood that Cristian Pache is on the team on Opening Day in some capacity. What role he'll play will depend on which player--Ruiz or Rooker--claims the other outfield spot.