A's trade Pache to Phillies for minor league pitcher Sullivan originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

Just over a year after Cristian Pache was acquired by the Athletics, Oakland has traded the outfielder to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The A's announced Wednesday that they've sent Pache to Philadelphia in exchange for minor league pitcher Billy Sullivan, a 23-year-old right-hander who was a non-roster invitee with the Phillies this spring.

Pache's time with Oakland comes to an end after manager Mark Kotsay revealed Monday he wouldn't be on the A's Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old was out of minor league options, however, meaning he either had to be traded or designated for assignment.

Rather than expose Pache to waivers and end up with nothing in return, Oakland was able to get something out of the situation in Sullivan.

The pitcher made three relief appearances with the Phillies this spring, allowing eight runs on eight hits in 2.0 innings. In 2022 at Double-A Reading, Sullivan went 5-1 with two saves, a 4.59 ERA and .744 opponent OPS in 44 games, including two starts. He struck out 77 batters last season but walked 36, and is 6-2 with a 3.98 ERA in 64 games over two professional seasons after he signed with Philadelphia in 2020 as a non-drafted free agent.

Pache, viewed by many as the centerpiece of the March 14, 2022, Matt Olson trade between the A's and Atlanta Braves, enjoyed a strong spring with Oakland, though it wasn't enough to overcome the struggles he experienced during his first A's season in 2022. He posted a .166 batting average last season in the majors and at one point was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas, but he made adjustments at the plate this spring and hit .302 with eight RBI and a .781 OPS in camp.

The speedy outfielder was best known for his glove during his time in Oakland, making leaping catches at the Coliseum wall and robbing hitters of extra bases with his range in the gaps.

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Kotsay told reporters Monday there was plenty of interest in Pache from other teams, and he said "they should be" interested.

"This kid still has a big future in this game, in my opinion," Kotsay said Monday. "He's a plus defender, and I think the offensive side always takes longer to develop. Unfortunately for us, where we're at, we kind of ran out of time with that."