What went wrong for Cristian Pache? Former Top Prospect becomes trade chip after not making A's roster

Cristian Pache was once a top prospect in the Atlanta Braves system. The outfielder was considered the next great Brave to come up through the system, like Dansby Swanson, Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider and others.

Ultimately, he was a key component of the Matt Olson trade last year. The top prospect was part of the deal that brought Olson to Atlanta from Oakland after Freddie Freeman signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ahead of the 2023 Opening Day, Pache did not make the A's roster. The outfielder struggled mightily last year and hasn't panned out as expected. As a result, he's likely to be traded somewhere else.

Cristian Pache likely done with Oakland

Oakland A's manager Mark Kotsay said via Yahoo! Sports:

"There are some teams interested, and they should be. This kid still has a big future in this game, in my opinion. He's a plus defender, and I think the offensive side always takes longer to develop. Unfortunately for us, where we're at, we kind of ran out of time with that."

Cristian Pache was expected to be a part of the A's major league roster, but there's just not a spot for him. Since he's out of minor league options, he simply can't be sent to AAA to continue working.

Kotsay added:

"It was really hard to run out of time with a player that you feel is young and still has a huge future in this game. Unfortunately, for us and the roster, we’ve kind of run out of time with the options that Pache is out of, and we’re going to have to make a move.”

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Pache could return to the A's if he clears waivers and is placed in the minors, but only if another team doesn't get him.