Phillies trade for A’s outfielder Cristian Pache; place Rhys Hoskins on 60-day IL

ARLINGTON, Texas — Even before spring training began, Phillies officials discussed the need for a right-handed hitter who could play center field.

On the eve of opening day, they found one.

The Phillies pulled off a last-minute trade Wednesday, acquiring Cristian Pache from the Oakland Athletics for minor league reliever Billy Sullivan. The addition of Pache likely will bump outfielder Dalton Guthrie off the opening-day roster, which must be submitted to Major League Baseball by noon Thursday.

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Pache, 24, is out of options and can’t be sent to the minors without being exposed to waivers. He lost a spring-training competition to Esteury Ruiz for Oakland’s center-field job.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski deferred comment until Thursday before the season opener against the Texas Rangers.

The Phillies are committed to giving Brandon Marsh a chance to play every day in center field. Ideally, though, Pache would provide manager Rob Thomson with a righty-hitting alternative. Marsh, a left-handed hitter, batted .188/.226/.260 in 105 plate appearances last season against lefties.

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But Pache hasn’t hit at all since making his major-league debut in 2020. Formerly a top prospect in the Atlanta Braves’ farm system and packaged to the A’s in the Matt Olson trade last March, he’s a .156/.205/.234 hitter with four homers and 97 strikeouts in 308 at-bats for Atlanta and Oakland.

It’s likely the Phillies believe hitting coach Kevin Long can bring about improvement from Pache at the plate. But Pache is known for his superior defense. If he winds up primarily replacing Kyle Schwarber or Nick Castellanos for defense in the late innings, the Phillies think he can help.

The Phillies explored several righty-hitting center-field options in spring training. Among them: Edmundo Sosa, the slick-fielding infielder, who got time in center field in Grapefruit League games.

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But everything changed last week when Rhys Hoskins tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, an injury that almost certainly will put him out for the season. Sosa figures to see more time at third base now, with Alec Bohm possibly moving to first base in place of Darick Hall against tough left-handed pitching.

Guthrie, 27, broke camp with the Phillies this week and traveled with the team to Texas. He started the spring with one hit in 14 at-bats, then got hot for a spell. He finished 11-for-49 (.224) with 12 strikeouts and no walks.

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Sullivan, a 23-year-old right-hander, was invited to major league camp and gave up eight earned runs on eight hits and two walks in two Grapefruit League games. A Delaware native, he grew up rooting for the Phillies and was set to open the season at double-A Reading, where he posted a 4.59 ERA in 44 appearances last year.

The Phillies added Pache to the 40-man roster in a spot vacated when they transferred Hoskins to the 60-day injured list. Hoskins is scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas.