The plan fell apart quietly at first, then all at once. What was supposed to be a stable center field rotation turned into a revolving door, and by midseason it was clear the New York Mets were improvising more than building.
Jose Siri and Cedric Mullins are gone after a pairing that never found its footing thanks to injuries and uneven play. Brandon Nimmo is no longer in the picture either, moved out as the front office reshaped the roster. Jeff McNeil could be next if a reasonable offer appears. For a team that once treated center field as a set-it-and-forget-it position, the Mets now find themselves staring at a depth chart that feels more like a suggestion than a solution.
Carson Benge would be the clean answer if baseball development were linear. It rarely is. His brief Triple-A stint showed flashes but also reinforced that pushing him into the majors too soon would be more hopeful than smart.
So on Monday, the Mets took a familiar kind of step. Not bold. Not definitive. But necessary.
A Low-Cost Bet in a Thin Market
Cristian Pache agreed to a minor league deal with a non-roster invite to spring training, as first reported by Mets insider Pat Ragazzo. It is the kind of transaction that barely nudges the news cycle, but it tells you exactly where the organization is right now.
Pache is still just 27, which feels surprising considering how long his name has floated around prospect lists. In 2021, he was a consensus top-15 prospect in baseball and viewed as a cornerstone defender for the Braves. Atlanta valued him enough to make him a headliner in the Matt Olson trade, sending him to the Athletics before the 2022 season.
That upside never materialized at the plate.
Defense Is the Calling Card
Offensively, the track record is rough. Pache owns a 46 wRC+ across 251 major league games, a number that leaves little room for creative interpretation. He does not walk much, does not hit for power, and has struggled to impact the ball with any consistency.
What he does bring is defense that still plays at a high level. Pache can handle all three outfield spots, but center field is where his speed and instincts stand out. He closes gaps, takes direct routes, and gives pitchers confidence to challenge hitters. On a Mets roster that has bled runs through defensive inefficiency at times, that matters.
The Mets are not asking Pache to hit in the middle of the order. They are asking him to catch the ball, run the bases, and compete for a role that is currently wide open.
The Bat Is the Entire Question
Pache spent the 2025 season in the Diamondbacks organization and never reached the majors. In 70 Triple-A games, he posted an 80 wRC+ with five home runs and eight stolen bases. That line is not disastrous, but it also does not suggest a breakthrough is imminent.
This is where the gamble lies. If Pache can get the bat from unplayable to merely tolerable, he becomes a useful piece. A late-inning defender. A platoon option. Insurance while the Mets wait for a real solution to emerge.
If the bat does not move, he is depth. Nothing more.
What This Says About the Mets
The New York Mets are not pretending this solves center field. This is a floor-raising move, not a ceiling-chasing one. It buys time, protects against injury, and adds a legitimate defensive option to a roster short on them.
It also underscores how unsettled the position remains. With Nimmo gone, McNeil potentially on the move, and Benge still developing, the Mets are collecting options rather than answers.
Sometimes roster construction looks like a master plan. Other times it looks like survival. This move sits firmly in the latter category, and for now, that is exactly what the Mets need.