Could Philadelphia Phillies Move On From Previously Acquired Outfielder?

If the Philadelphia Phillies are looking to make an upgrade in their outfield, then they could look to move on from one of their previously acquired players.

May 11, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Cristian Pache (19) watches his team play the Miami Marlins during the ninth inning at loanDepot Park / Michael Laughlin-USA TODAY Sports

There are some questions about what the Philadelphia Phillies might do around the trade deadline as they look to fill some of the small holes on their roster.

Bullpen arms will likely be a major target to boost this unit, but there have been reports that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is going to be monitoring the outfield market with the potential they bring someone in.

Brandon Marsh just returned from his strained hamstring, Nick Castellanos hasn't had the season he put together in 2023, Johan Rojas is still inconsistent at the plate, and there are some backup options who have largely been used in platoon splits.

What might this outfield look like after July 30?

That's what will be interesting to monitor.

The trio of Rojas, Marsh and Castellanos provide a great defensive unit but one who can be inconsistent at the plate. If Dombrowski is looking for a starting caliber player who can boost the offense, then they might move their young center fielder into a bench role.

This would make some of the current players expendable, and Edward Eng of That Balls Outta Here believes it might be Cristian Pache who could find himself moved.

"Pache has provided less of an impact to date this year ... As a result, he has seen his playing time diminish, with at-bats being lost ... he will likely be overtaken by others in the depth chart, if it hadn't happened already," he writes.

The 25-year-old was previously acquired by the Phillies in the offseason ahead of 2023, and the idea was for him to be a bench player who could come in and provide solid defense and have good at-bats when called upon.

Instead, he's slashing .219/.311/.297 with just four extra-base hits and eight RBI across 32 appearances in 2024. His two errors and .957 fielding percentage is a bit concerning, but he's still providing strong defensive value when he's in the game with a defensive bWAR of 0.5.

But, if Dombrowski does bring in another player, then someone will likely be out of a role.

Pache could be the one, whether they are able to ship him out in a potential deal that brings in an upgrade, or if they have to designate him for assignment.

Either way, it sounds like Philadelphia's outfield group will look different for the back stretch.