The New York Mets added their outfield depth with a low-risk move.
The Mets became the latest NL East team to sign outfielder Cristian Pache, inking the sixth-year outfielder to a minor-league contract according to the New York Post.
Pache, who turned 27 in November, spent last year in the Arizona Diamondbacks minor-league system, taking 288 plate appearances for Reno in 2025. The Mets are Pache’s fourth NL East team — only the Washington Nationals have not signed on for the Pache experience.
Cristian Pache Will Challenge For An Outfield Spot For The Mets
Pache has not played in the majors since toggling between the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles and Miami Marlins in the 2024 season. Pache has just a .518 career OPS and 49 career RBIs but is known for his defense, since he has made just six errors in 434 career outfield chances in the majors.
But with the Mets trading Brandon Nimmo and losing Cedric Mullins in free agency, the Mets only have five outfielders on the roster and just two that had at-bats in 2025 (Juan Soto and Tyrone Taylor).
“As it stands, the Mets have Taylor and prospect Carson Benge as center field possibilities for next season,” The Post’s Mike Puma wrote. “The Mets have a glaring vacancy in left field following the trade that sent Brandon Nimmo to Texas for Marcus Semien. Jeff McNeil (a possibility to be traded) remains as a utility option who can play all three outfield positions in addition to second base.”
As Puma references, the Mets are waiting to hear about their presumed offers to Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker to fill that hole in left. But Pache is a cheap option for now.
The Mets Still Have More Work To Do
Puma alluded to New York’s hole in left field, and the outfield is its most glaring spot at the moment — even with Juan Soto squarely fixed in right field.
But signing Pache isn’t the type of move Mets fans are looking for, especially off an 83-win season and amid an offseason where they watched Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz sign elsewhere in free agency.
Mets fans were hoping owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns together could combine seemingly limitless resources and Stearns’ creative roster building to develop a powerhouse that could rival the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It worked in 2024 when the Mets first pushed the Dodgers to six games in the NLCS then outbid the New York Yankees for Soto.
But 2025 has been trickier, both on the field and off, with the Mets failing to sign any marquee free agents thus far. But Stears still articulated a plan at last week’s MLB Winter Meetings to upgrade the team’s outfield.
âI think between whatâs available in free agency and some of the names that are being talked about in the trade market that thereâs a pretty robust group out there, a robust market,â Stearns told Puma. âWeâre going to continue to explore that, and I think we have got some really good internal candidates as well.â
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