A's Exploring Trade for Out-of-Options Cristian Pache

After word came out that Cristian Pache wouldn't make the Oakland Athletics Opening Day roster, A's manager Mark Kotsay told reporters "There are some teams interested, and they should be. This kid still has a big future in this game in my opinion." Kotsay added, "Unfortunately, we kind of ran out of time."

Pache went 13-for-43 this spring (.302) with four walks bumping up his OBP to .362. A lot of those numbers were accumulated late in games when minor league arms would be on the mound, but throughout camp Pache was used as a defensive replacement, so he did the best with the opportunities he was given.

The A's, who are not expected to contend in 2023, couldn't find room for Pache on their roster, even though he is out of minor-league options. Effectively leaving him off the roster to begin the season has ended his tenure with the club. The next step would be to place him on waivers where all 29 other teams would have a chance to claim him. The more likely scenario would be that the 24-year-old centerfielder gets traded, so that the A's at least gets something back.

The curious part of this entire equation is why the A's couldn't have included him on their Opening Day roster. Yes, Brent Rooker and Conner Capel had excellent springs of their own and deserve the roster spots they earned, but now being limited to two days to trade away a player like Pache really diminishes the team's leverage in negotiations. From the A's standpoint it's either take an offer, or lose him for nothing in return on the waiver wire.

Both Capel and Rooker have options remaining.

Oakland could have included Pache on their roster to begin the year while optioning either Rooker or Capel, while attempting to trade Pache behind the scenes. At least then they'd still have that leverage in negotiations, and both Rooker and Capel would still be with the organization, waiting for that trade to happen.

For now, we wait and see where Pache lands, because it's most likely not going to be in Triple-A Las Vegas. The Colorado Rockies are a team being speculated about in Pache rumors, and if there is a place that his skill set could play, it may just be Colorado. His defense is elite, and Coors Field is home to an expansive outfield for him to potentially roam. Plus, if he hit the ball in the air a little more, the ballpark could work some magic to help his offense, too.

If not the Rockies, then a contending team with more resources like the Los Angeles Dodgers could potentially be in play. Or a team like the Toronto Blue Jays or Minnesota Twins could use some insurance for their outfield group.

There are suitors out there that make a lot of sense in a potential trade. It's still a little baffling that the A's couldn't find room for him on their own roster, given that they knew how many options he had remaining when they acquired him as part of the Matt Olson trade. They knew that he had some swing issues when he came to Oakland.

Unless the return for Pache is something tantalizing, the Matt Olson trade is looking like a swing and a miss.