The Oakland A’s needed to find a new face for the franchise. After trading away their top players, they needed someone to step up and take over that role, becoming the fan favorite and someone that could connect with the fanbase. The problem was that virtually anyone that would have been expected to be that player could be on the trade block as well.
It turns out that they received that new face of the franchise in their trade with the Braves. Cristian Pache has quickly become a fan favorite with his personality and performance. It is not a surprise that he has become the face of the A’s already, something that he considers to be a great honor.
Oakland A’s have their new face of the franchise with Cristian Pache
This is an impressive turnaround in how Pache has been perceived. The return for Matt Olson was considered a disappointment, with Pache viewed as a fourth outfielder at best. While he had a great deal of potential, there were questions as to whether or not his bat would ever catch up to the glove.
It turned out that all he needed was a chance. The A’s were in the perfect situation to give him that opportunity as Ramon Laureano still needed to finish his PED suspension. Considering that the rest of the outfield was hardly written in stone, Pache was in the right place to get that extended look.
In just over two weeks of action, it is impossible to imagine the A’s without him. He fit in perfectly, reaching out and interacting with the fans, saying that he would play just as hard if there was one fan in the stands or if the Coliseum was packed to the gills.
Any player can have a hot two weeks, especially when facing pitchers who may not be familiar with him. As impressive as he has been thus far, one has to temper hope based on the league eventually adjusting to him. Pache will then need to prove that he can adjust as well, or else he will risk being yet another flash in the pan to captivate a fanbase at the beginning of his tenure. However, if he is able to do so, he has already staked his claim to being the next face of the A’s.
The Oakland A’s needed to find their next face of the franchise. If he keeps playing at this level, Cristian Pache would be the perfect option.