Let me preface by saying this is a response to [this tweet](https://x.com/Matt_Winkelman/status/1761832637247742375?s=20).
I really, really disagree with Pache not making the team this year. I understand he is out of options which makes some flexibility a little difficult. The Phillies are really putting all their eggs in the Rojas basket, which is great if it works out, but that man has had horrible offensive peripherals since his time in the minors and last year.
He had a 111 OPS+ last year but was bouyed by .410 BABIP (MLB Average is .297). He struck out 25% of the time while walking only 3%. Those numbers could be acceptable with some power but Rojas has shown none. He has 2 HRs in MLB last year (one off of a position player) and never more than 11 in any professional season in the minors. This isn’t even mentioning his abysmal Savant page where he isn’t even close to 50th percentile in any underlying offensive metric. Obviously, he has less than half a season under his belt and this could be improved but I don’t know why it is being treated like a given that he will, even if he is “in the best shape of his life” with the viral muscle photos.
Pache is not some incredible player. He is very similar to Rojas. He had a 100 OPS+ last year with sporadic playing time but, in turn, got a little less lucky (.327 BABIP) than Rojas (still lucky overall). Pache has significantly higher offensive peripherals, ranging to slightly below average or even above average in things like Hard-Hit%, Sweet-Spot%, or AVG Exit Velo. He is not as good of a defender as Rojas is but still is elite in CF.
I’m not saying definitively that either of these guys will be better than the other. Obviously, the organization has an insane amount of confidence in Rojas, judging by how he is being handed to starting CF spot on a silver platter and they wouldn’t even entertain him in trade talks. They must have good reason for that. However, Pache is such an easy backup plan and better to keep than someone like Cave, even if that leaves a little bit to be desired “lefty bat off the bench wise”.
2 comments
Pache was kept on the MLB team all last year when he wasn’t on IL while Cave was sent to AAA for months when there was a roster crunch. Idk why that would change. I’m sure they’re looking around to see if a better LH option comes available (similar to how Pache came available last year) but would be surprised if it was just Cave. Who knows though maybe someone offers something real for Pache.
These are the kinds of tough calls that managers and personnel people get paid a lot of money to make. Either way it’ll be a gamble.