The New York Mets added some much-needed outfield depth by signing outfielder Christian Pache to a minor league contract on Monday. Though he hasn’t proven to be a starting-caliber player in his five-year MLB career, his addition to the Mets roster provides New York with an experienced option if need be.
Pache spent 2025 at the Triple-A level in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. With the Reno Aces, Pache recorded a slash line of .251/.351/.389 with a .740 OPS. It isn’t at the plate where Pache provides his value, however. That comes on the field, where the 27-year-old is one of the best outfield defenders in baseball.
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In his 251 career games at the major league level, Pache has made 236 starts in the outfield, with most of which coming in centerfield. Though he hasn’t been able to solidify himself at the major league level due to his lack of hitting value, Pache has excelled on defense.
He’s finished each season from 2021 to 2024 in at least the 91st percentile in arm strength among qualified outfielders. Pache has also tallied outs above average at an elite pace, too, finishing in the 90th percentile in 2022. He’s yet to play 100 games in a season, making it hard for him to qualify for many statistics, but his defensive presence in the outfield has been proven even in his short sample size.
Pache will likely serve in the role that outfielder Jose Siri did last season for New York. The Mets added Siri late last offseason to serve as a defensive specialist and a depth piece in center field if needed. Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor ended up missing some time last season, opening up the spot for Siri to get some game action.
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Siri didn’t capitalize on his opportunity, recording just two hits in 36 plate appearances last season with the Mets. President of baseball operations David Stearns hopes that if called upon, Pache can provide some better value at the plate than Siri did last season.
Though he’s signing a minor league deal with the Mets, Pache will hope to see his first big league action since the 2024 season, in which he spent time with the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, and Miami Marlins.