Stay on Target . . . Getting Closer to Baseball

2020 Chachi New Additions #10

Most of my offseason attention has been turned towards building and posting my two other blogs, covering the 1956 and 1965 Topps sets.  After the Zack Wheeler and Didi Gregorius signings in December, transactions and non-roster invitees have slowly trickled in and I wanted to run another catch-up post before the joy of pitchers and catchers reporting kicks in.  Phillies pitchers and catchers are set to officially report on February 11th.

A number of ex-Phillies recently found new homes, as updated below.  The Phillies also made another waiver claim, taking Reggie McClain from the Mariners.  McClain has no major baseball card appearances to his name to date.

Trevor Kelley was designated for assignment to make room for McClain on the 40-man roster, but at least Kelley has a coveted Chachi New Additions insert card to show for his time in the Phillies organization.

2020 Chachi Departures #15

2020 Chachi Departures #1

2020 Chachi Departures #17

2020 Chachi Departures #9

Moving On - 2019-2020 Offseason

• Rob Brantly - c (9/30/19) - Elected free agency, signed the San Francisco Giants (1/18/20).
• Fernando Salas - rhp (9/30/19) - Elected free agency.
• Corey Dickerson - of (10/31/19) - Elected free agency, signed with the Miami Marlins (1/7/20).
• Tommy Hunter - rhp (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Brad Miller - inf (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Logan Morrison - 1b (10/31/19) - Elected free agency, signed with the Milwaukee Brewers (1/9/20).
• Juan Nicasio - rhp (10/31/19) - Elected free agency, signed with the Texas Rangers (1/22/20).
• Sean Rodriguez - inf-of (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Drew Smyly - lhp (10/31/19) - Elected free agency, signed with the San Francisco Giants (1/16/20).
• Nick Vincent - rhp (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Jose Pirela - of (11/1/19) - Released.
• Jared Hughes - rhp (11/4/19) - Club option declined, elected free agency.
• Pat Neshek - rhp (11/4/19) - Club option declined, elected free agency.
• Jason Vargas - lhp (11/4/19) - Club option declined, elected free agency.
• Jerad Eickhoff - rhp (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency, signed with the San Diego Padres (12/27/19).
• Mike Morin - rhp (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency, signed with the Milwaukee Brewers (1/31/20).
• Blake Parker - rhp (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency.
• Edubray Ramos - rhp - (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1/8/20).
• Maikel Franco - 3b (12/2/19) - Non-tendered, elected free agency, signed with the Kansas City Royals (12/27/19).
• Cesar Hernandez - 2b (12/2/19) - Non-tendered, elected free agency, signed with the Cleveland Indians (12/29/19).

2020 Chachi Departures #7

2020 Chachi Departures #16

Coming Back - 2019-2020 Offseason

• Phil Gosselin - inf (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency, signed with the Phillies (12/20/19).

New Arrivals - 2019-2020 Offseason

• Robert Stock - rhp (10/30/19) - Claimed off waivers from the San Diego Padres.
• Cristopher Sanchez - lhp (11/20/19) - Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays for Curtis Mead.
• Trevor Kelley - rhp (12/2/19) - Claimed off waivers from the Boston Red Sox.
• Zack Wheeler - rhp (12/9/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Mets.
• Didi Gregorius - ss (12/13/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Yankees.
• Nick Martini - of (1/14/20) - Claimed off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds.
• Reggie McClain - rhp (1/31/20) - Claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.

Latest Round of Roster Moves - 8 More Free Agents

2020 Chachi Departures #12

2020 Chachi Departures #13

2020 Chachi Departures #14

In a flurry of roster moves on late Monday afternoon, the Phillies parted with eight more players and they now have 35 spots taken on their 40-man roster.

The club declined their options on pitchers Jared Hughes, Pat Neshek and Jason Vargas.  Starting pitcher Jake Arrieta, as expected, exercised his player option for 2020 and he'll attempt to bounce back from two lackluster seasons.

2020 Chachi Departures #15

2020 Chachi #13

2020 Chachi Departures #16

2020 Chachi #38

2020 Chachi Departures #17

Pitchers Jerad Eickhoff, Mike Morin, Blake Parker and Edubray Ramos along with infiedler Phil Gosselin were all outrighted off the 40-man roster and all five elected free agency.  The Morin and Parker moves surprised me a little, as I could see both playing a role in the team's 2020 bullpen.  I assume one or both could come back on minor league deals.  It's also tough to see Phillies Room favorite Gosselin let go.

Finally, pitchers Victor Arano, Arrieta, Seranthony Dominguez, Adam Morgan, David Robertson and Robert Stock along with outfielder Andrew McCutchen were activated from the 60-day IL.

This is a good time to link over to my Virtual Phillies Wall, which has been updated to reflect the current status of the team's 40-man roster.  As players are added, such as Stock, they'll appear on a 2020 Chachi New Additions insert card.  The next date to circle on our calendars is December 2nd, when the Phillies will need to make a decision on tendering contracts to Cesar Hernandez and Maikel Franco in advance of the annual Rule 5 draft.

Moving On - 2019-2020 Offseason

• Rob Brantly - c (9/30/19) - Elected free agency.
• Fernando Salas - rhp (9/30/19) - Elected free agency.
• Corey Dickerson - of (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Tommy Hunter - rhp (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Brad Miller - inf (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Logan Morrison - 1b (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Juan Nicasio - rhp (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Sean Rodriguez - inf-of (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Drew Smyly - lhp (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Nick Vincent - rhp (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Jose Pirela - of (11/1/19) - Released.
• Jared Hughes - rhp (11/4/19) - Club option declined, elected free agency.
• Pat Neshek - rhp (11/4/19) - Club option declined, elected free agency.
• Jason Vargas - lhp (11/4/19) - Club option declined, elected free agency.
• Jerad Eickhoff - rhp (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency.
• Phil Gosselin - inf (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency.
• Mike Morin - rhp (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency.
• Blake Parker - rhp (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency.
• Edubray Ramos - rhp - (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency.

New Arrivals - 2019-2020 Offseason

• Robert Stock - rhp (10/30/19) - Claimed off waivers from the San Diego Padres.

Highlights from the 2019 Phillies Phestival (Part 2) #StrikeOutALS

2019 Chachi Phillies Phestival #20

2019 Chachi Phillies Phestival #24

2019 Chachi Phillies Phestival #25

Yesterday, I include a summary of our time at this year's Phillies Phestival benefitting the ALS Association.  The first half of the cards I created to commemorate our day were included in that post, and this post gathers the remaining cards.

We're already anxiously awaiting next year's event!

2019 Chachi Phillies Phestival #12

2019 Chachi Phillies Phestival #13

2019 Chachi Phillies Phestival #15

2019 Chachi Phillies Phestival #17

2019 Chachi Phillies Phestival #18

2019 Chachi Phillies Phestival #21

2019 Chachi Phillies Phestival #22

2019 Chachi Phillies Phestival #23

Phillies Phestival Memory Lane

2017 Part 1 and Part 2

2018 Part 1 and Part 2

2019 Part 1 and Part 2

2019 Chachi #24 Edubray Ramos

#61
Edubray Eduar Ramos Garces
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  225
Opening Day Age:  26
Born:  December 19, 1992, Caracas, VZ
Signed:  Signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent, November 21, 2012
Teams:  Phillies 2016-
Acquired:  Via free agency
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible in 2020, free agency eligible in 2023

2015 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #22

2016 Chachi #48

2016 Chachi Photo Day #33

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #10

First Phillies Minor League Card:  2015 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #22
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 Update #61
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 Update #61
Newest Card Added:  2019 Phillies Team Issue #61

2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 Update #61

10 - Ramos baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 5/1/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #48
2016 Chachi Photo Day #33
2017 Chachi #21
2018 Chachi #22
2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #10 (with Seranthony Dominguez)
2019 Chachi #24

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

Game 10 - 2019 Phillies Team Issue #61 Edubray Ramos

Nationals 10, Phillies 6 (10)
Game 10 - Tuesday Night, April 9th in Philadelphia
Record - 7-3, 1st place, 1/2 game ahead of the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Despite a strong offense, Aaron Nola's struggles and the bullpen's inability to record outs late in the game led to a 10-6 defeat at the hands of the Nationals.

What It Means:  There will undoubtedly be more of this as the season progresses, but the Phillies have now given away two of their total of three losses.  This game should have resulted in a W.  Up by 6-0 after five innings, the Nationals scored 10 unanswered runs.

What Happened:  Nola went 6 1/3 innings, giving up five runs (four earned).  Edubray Ramos surrendered a solo home run to Victor Robles with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game.  Jose Alvarez plodded through a four-run 10th inning.

Maikel Franco (4) and Bryce Harper (4) had homered earlier in the game, and Jean Segura added a two-run triple.

Featured Card:  To date, Ramos has escaped any mainstream Topps releases and his only Phillies baseball cards can be found in the team-issued photo card sets dating back to 2016.

Field Report:  There were six of us in attendance on Tuesday night, and it was a gorgeous night for baseball.  Jenna and Ben hosted Jenna's parents in special Diamond Club seats in honor of her Dad's birthday.  Doug and I trekked up to Section 315 where we were greeted with the welcome sight of people outnumbering empty blue seats.  Before the game, Doug added a few more Scott Kingery autographs to his collection, but once again missing out on an elusive Harper signature.

2019 Topps Heritage #186

2019 Topps Gypsy Queen #209

Highlights from the 2018 Phillies Phestival (Part 2) #StrikeOutALS

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #13

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #17

Presented here are the remaining cards from the limited edition Chachi insert set I created to commemorate our amazing time at this year's Phillies Phestival benefiting the ALS Association.  Part 1 can be found here along with some of my memories from the event.

If you plan to go to the event in 2019, we'll see you there!

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #10

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #9

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #11

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #12

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #14

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #15

Phillies Phestival Memory Lane

2017 Part 1 and Part 2

2018 Part 1 and Part 2

2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #16

2018 Chachi #22 Edubray Ramos

#61
Edubray Eduar Ramos Garces
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  225
Opening Day Age:  25
Born:  December 19, 1992, Caracas, VZ
Signed:  Signed as an amateur free agent, November 21, 2012
Teams:  Phillies 2016-
Acquired:  Via free agency

2015 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #22

2016 Chachi #48

9 Ramos Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2015 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #22
First Phillies Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 Update #61
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 Update #61
Newest Card:  2018 Phillies Team Issue 2 #61

2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 Update #61

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  November 21, 2015 - Three Prospects Added to 40-Man Roster . . . The week before Thanksgiving is when all teams start to cobble together their 40-man roster in anticipation of the December Rule 5 draft.  I've tracked these pre-Thanksgiving additions over the past six years . . .

As I disclaim every year, I'm by no means an expert on prospects, but I can give you some information on the new additions' baseball card appearances to date.

Edubray Ramos (rhp) - Ramos split last season between Clearwater and Reading, earning a 2.07 ERA over 47 games and 69 2/3 innings pitched.  He had 65 strikeouts to just 16 walks over that span. To date, Ramos' only baseball card (that I know of) can be found in last year's Threshers team set.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #48
2016 Chachi Photo Day #33
2017 Chachi #21
2018 Chachi #22

Card statistics through 5/31/18.

2017 Chachi #21 Edubray Ramos

#61
Edubray Eduar Ramos Garces
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  224
Born:  December 19, 1992, Caracas, VZ
Home:  Guacara, VZ
Signed:  Signed as an amateur free agent, November 21, 2012
Teams:  Phillies 2016-
Acquired:  Via free agency

2015 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #22

2016 Chachi #48

2017 Phillies Team Issue #61

7 Ramos Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Card:  2015 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #22
First Phillies Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 Update #61
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2016 Phillies Team Issue 2 Update #61
Latest Card:  2017 Phillies Team Issue #61

Click to enlarge

Complete Chachi Checklist
2016 Chachi #48
2016 Chachi Photo Day #33
2017 Chachi #21

Card statistics through 5/27/17.