Just ahead of the start of the 2023 season, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired yet another key player. Dave Dombrowski, President of Baseball Operations for the Phillies announced on March 29 that the team had obtained center fielder Christian Pache from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for right-handed pitcher Billy Sullivan. Pache, 24, was tied for fifth amongst American League center fielders in defensive runs saved. This acquisition is key for the Phillies, who have been largely and consistently criticized for their lack of defense on the field. Pache posted a .995 fielding percentage, 7 outs above average and boasts and arm strength of 92.3 mph.
The newsmaker in this story is the Phillies organization and Christian Pache. The news in this story relates to the special audience of the fans of the Phillies organization. This trade is apart of the Phillies offseason campaign to continue to make a name for themselves as a powerhouse team in Major League Baseball. The publics interested in this story would be all other MLB teams, as well as all fans of the Phillies organization. All MLB teams would be interested in this story as it demonstrates that the Phillies are continuing to add depth to their already stacked team. All Phillies fans would be interested in this story for the exact same reason.
As the PR person for the newsmaker of this story, I would concern myself with all other teams in the MLB and more importantly, the fans of the Phillies organization. This is a very positive story, as it shows that the Phillies brand is continuing their trend of adding depth to a roster that has already proven to be a force to be reckoned with in the MLB. If I were the PR person for the Philadelphia Phillies, I would create social media posts about Pache. The posts would show Pache in a Phillies uniform, taking batting practice and playing his center field position. I would also be concerned about other MLB teams attempting to make last-minute acquisitions of back-up players, just as the Phillies did with Pache.
Personally, I was very happy to hear that the Phillies made another trade prior to the beginning of the season. Baseball is the longest season out of any sport, with a guaranteed 162 games to be played by each team, regardless if that team makes the playoffs or not. With 162 games, the potential for injuries and other complications can take key players off the field. That’s where great backups, such as Josh Harrison, come in handy.
https://www.mlb.com/phillies/press-release/press-release-phillies-acquire-cristian-pache-from-athletics