I just noticed Cristian Pache is still with the club

[Cowtipper]

Pache was called up on August 4. They've played about 44 games since August 4. He's appeared in 14 games and had 8 at-bats for the club in that span. Surely in this lost season, they don't really need a specialist for pinch running or defense. Surely they could by trialing a young fella. Surely they could be giving a career minor leaguer his shot at glory. But there's ol' Cristian Pache, taking up a spot on the roster. 

He reminds me of Ben Gamel in 2024. On the roster for what seemed like forever, but almost never used. 

[Edgy MD]

Gamel got plenty of use compared to Pache.  He was used every day for the first week or so of his tenure, and then it tapered off in a natural way.  But he was a Met mid-season.  Pache is here in September when they have more guys than they could use.

While I'm rooting for him to get off the bench every night, his skill set is pretty similar to Nick Morabito's, so that when one of their skills is needed, they are almost always going to go for younger guy they are trying to develop, while Pache cools his heels.  They probably would do better using that roster spot for a third catcher.

[seawolf17]

Plus, if a guy isn't getting ABs, it's not like a different guy would automatically be getting more ABs. There are only so many to go around.

I agree on the third catcher; it's not like the S-Mets are doing anything anyway, so you might as well bring up Senger.

[Gwreck]

24 minutes ago, Edgy MD said:

Pache is here in September when they have more guys than they could use.

Pache has been on the roster since the beginning of August!  Admittedly with only 8 plate appearances so it’s been hard to notice.

That roster spot is a bit of a mystery.  They clearly don’t need Pache in that spot, but it’s not as if he’s getting any playing time of note.  And the Mets haven’t demonstrated any interest in evaluating hitting prospects at the major league level (like, say, a Ronny Mauricio).

[Edgy MD]

I think they are contractually bound to fill the spot with somebody.

Christian Pache is somebody.

[Cowtipper]

He last appeared in a game on 9/13. 

Guys I'd rather see on the roster than Cristian Pache:

Ryan Clifford
D'Andre Smith
Jose Ramos
Kevin Parada
Nick Lorusso
Jacob Reimer
Chris Suero

We know what Cristian Pache is at the big league level. This is his 6th season. He owns a career 45 OPS+. Horrible.

We don't know what any of those kids are at the big league level. This is the time and environment to be figuring that out. 

[Edgy MD]

Ryan Clifford has had a disastrous season — batting .180 at Syracuse.  The purpose of players like Cristian Pache is largely to keep the likes of Ryan Clifford off the roster.

Some roster spots have less utility for securing guys you need, and are more for carrying guys you don't really need, and won't feel any need to protect after the season.

[MFS62]

12 minutes ago, Edgy MD said:

 The purpose of players like Cristian Pache is largely to keep the likes of Ryan Clifford off the roster.

Well put. I'm still laughing.

Later

[Cowtipper]

I understand about Clifford, but at the big league level, he's an unknown quantity. We know what Pache and the like are at the big league level. I'd rather take a flyer on a .180 Triple-A guy who has (had) top prospect status over a guy like Pache, whose ceiling at the big league level is already known to be quite low. I'd rather deal with the known unknown (we know we don't know how Clifford will do in the majors since he's never been there) versus the known known (we know Pache is probably gonna suck).

Same thing with Parada, Suero and other top prospects who have struggled in the minors so far. You can assume they'll struggle in the majors, but you don't know. And if they hit .100 in 20 at-bats in their big league debut in a year like this, who cares? The Mets are in last place. He didn't struggle in the minors, but they let Lucas Duda struggle through a rough early patch in a lost season (2010) and look what he became. He was 1 for his first 33. 

Pache just went 12 days between appearances on the field. 9/13 to 9/25. Why bother. 

[Edgy MD]

The answer to "why bother?" is to occupy the roster with 28 players.

And I wasn't joking about Pache's job being to keep Clifford off the roster.  Unless you have work for a guy or need him in some capacity, it's counterproductive to promote him and burn a roster spot on him.  It starts his options clock, but more immediately it forces them to put him through waivers if they need a spot for somebody else, which they will.

Putting Christian Pache — or another journeymen vet they have few long-term hopes for — through waivers is no big pain, and that's what they will have to do this winter when they need roster room for someone they want to protect from the Rule V Draft, or they want to add someone they selected in the Rule V Draft, or they sign Sonny Gray or Isaac Paredes or somebody.