Happy Trails, Kyle Kendrick

2015 Chachi Departures #10

This past Wednesday, the Colorado Rockies signed pitcher Kyle Kendrick to a one-year, $5.5 million contract with additional incentives available if he reaches certain inning plateaus.  The articles I've read on the signing indicate that the Rockies hope Kendrick can be a back-of-the-rotation innings eater.

In parts of eight seasons with the Phillies between 2007 and 2014, Kendrick appeared in 226 games, going 74-68 with a 4.42 ERA.  He was frustratingly inconsistent, showing signs of brilliance in one start only to follow that up with a completely crappy performance in his next outing.  Kendrick only made one postseason appearance with the Phillies, getting lit up by the Rockies in Game 2 of the N.L.D.S.  Kendrick lasted just 3 2/3 innings before giving way to Kyle Lohse.  That was the first Phillies postseason game I ever attended, and I honestly think I'm still a little bitter about it.

I have 51 different Kendrick baseball cards in my Phillies collection, ranging from his 2004 Batavia Muckdogs card to his final Phillies card (as of right now) in the 2014 team issued second series.  One of my favorite Kendrick cards appeared in the 2008 Chachi set, documenting Kendrick's "trade" to Japan.

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2015 Chachi Departures #9

2015 Chachi Departures #11

Also heading west is back-up catcher Wil Nieves who signed a minor league deal with the Padres.  Nieves hit .254 over 36 games in his one season with the Phillies, earning Phillies baseball cards in both team issued sets and the 2014 Topps Update set.

Finally, reliever B.J. Rosenberg becomes the third ex-Phillie to join the Dodgers this offseason, following Jimmy Rollins and Jeremy Horst.  Rosenberg appeared in 57 games for the Phillies between 2012 and 2014, going 4-2 with a 5.72 ERA.  His only two Phillies baseball cards can be found in the 2012 second edition team issued set and the 2014 first edition team issued set.

Moving On
Reid Brignac (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Miami Marlins organization 11/19/14)
Jeremy Horst (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization 1/27/15)
Jeff Manship (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Cleveland Indians organization 12/24/14)
Tony Gwynn, Jr. (10/10/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.
B.J. Rosenberg (10/27/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.  (Signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization 2/7/15)
Mike Adams (10/30/14) - Team option declined, making him a free agent.
Kyle Kendrick (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Colorado Rockies 2/4/15)
Wil Nieves (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the San Diego Padres organization 2/3/15)
A.J. Burnett (11/3/14) - Declined option for 2015, elected free agency.  (Signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates 11/14/14)
Brad Lincoln (11/4/14) - Elected free agency.  (Signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization 11/18/14)
Antonio Bastardo (12/10/14) - Traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Joely Rodriguez.
Jimmy Rollins (12/19/14) - Traded with cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Tom Windle and Zach Eflin.
Marlon Byrd (12/31/14) - Traded with cash to the Cincinnati Reds for Ben Lively.

Coming Back
Andres Blanco (11/13/14) - Signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training.
Koyie Hill (11/20/14) - Signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training.
Sean O'Sullivan (12/16/14) - Signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training.

New Additions
Elvis Araujo (11/13/14) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Cleveland Indians organization.
Joely Rodriguez (12/10/14) - Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Antonio Bastardo.
Odubel Herrera (12/11/14) - Selected in the annual Rule 5 draft from the Texas Rangers.
Andy Oliver (12/11/14) - Selected in the annual Rule 5 draft from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Aaron Harang (1/5/15) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Atlanta Braves.
Jordan Danks (1/16/15) - Claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox.
Chad Billingsley (1/29/15) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Moving On - Seven More Exit Phillies

2014 Chachi #69

The former Phillies club added seven members since my last off-season update in mid-October.  Mike Adams, Kyle Kendrick, Wil Nieves, A.J. Burnett, Koyie Hill and Brad Lincoln are now all officially free agents, and they'll be playing elsewhere in 2015.  On Monday night, Burnett declined his side of an option for 2015 which would have resulted in him earning $12.75 to pitch for a rebuilding Phillies club.  Rather than take the money and play for a team in flux, Burnett decided to try to sign with a contender.

Andres Blanco did not accept his assignment to Lehigh Valley, making him a free agent as well.

Moving On
Reid Brignac (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.
Jeremy Horst (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.
Jeff Manship (10/2/14) - Elected free agency.
Sean O'Sullivan (10/6/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and released.
Tony Gwynn, Jr. (10/10/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.
Mike Adams (10/30/14) - Team option declined, making him a free agent.
Kyle Kendrick (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.
Wil Nieves (10/30/14) - Elected free agency.
Andres Blanco (11/1/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.
A.J. Burnett (11/3/14) - Declined option for 2015, elected free agency.
Koyie Hill (11/4/14) - Elected free agency.
Brad Lincoln (11/4/14) - Elected free agency.

2014 Topps Update #US-77

Catcher Koyie Hill and pitcher Brad Lincoln became free agents yesterday.  Both were in the IronPigs team set and Lincoln had his sole Phillies card in the first team issued set, released in early April.

I have six Phillies baseball cards in my collection for Adams, four of which come from the two team issued sets from 2013 and 2014.  Adams also appears in both the 2013 and 2014 Topps Update sets.  Nieves is in the 2014 Topps Update set as well, and he was in both team issued sets from this past season.

I have five Burnett cards in my 2014 Phillies collection, although three of those cards (Donruss Jersey Kings, Panini Prizm and Topps) feature him wearing a Pirates uniform made to look like a Phillies uniform.  To date, the only cards featuring Burnett in an actual Phillies uniform are from the two team issued sets.

Finally, Kendrick's time with the team comes to an end after a topsy turvy tenure.  Including minor league cards, I have 51 Kendrick cards in my collection dating back to his 2004 card from the Batavia Muckdogs team set.  Unless he appears in a few early 2015 releases with the Phillies, his final Phillies card can be found within the second series of Topps' 2014 flagship set.

2014 Phillies Team Issue #21 Wil Nieves

Phillies 10, Braves 5
Game 70 - Wednesday Afternoon, June 18th in Atlanta
Record - 32-38, 4th Place, 5 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  The offense exploded against the Braves, as the Phillies won 10-5 behind a season-high 18 hits.

What It Means:  I'll admit it.  It was pretty cool to sweep the Braves and feel like maybe, just maybe, the Phillies aren't completely out of this thing yet.

What Happened:  Five different Phillies enjoyed three-hit games - Cesar Hernandez, Wil Nieves, Ryan Howard, Marlon Byrd and Domonic Brown.  Byrd and John Mayberry, Jr. each knocked in three runs a piece.

Featured Card:  Nieves has done a nice job this year as Carlos Ruiz's back-up.  Unfortunately, he came up lame in the ninth while running out a ground rule double.  Nieves has had one Phillies card so far this year, and his best chance at receiving a standard sized Phillies card will come when the Topps Update set is released.

2014 Chachi #14 Wil Nieves

#21

Wilbert Nieves

Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  190

Born:  September 25, 1977, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Home:  San Juan, Puerto Rico

Signed:  Signed by the San Diego Padres as an amateur free agent, May 24, 1996

Teams:  San Diego Padres 2002, New York Yankees 2005-2007, Washington Nationals 2008-2010, Milwaukee Brewers 2011, Colorado Rockies 2012, Arizona Diamondbacks 2012-2013, Phillies 2014

Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the Arizona Diamondbacks, December 5, 2013

Phillies Cards in My Collection:

#1 - 2014 Phillies Team Issue #21

First Chachi Card:  2014 Chachi #14

Phillies Sign Catcher Nieves

2014 Chachi Transactions #9

In early October, I resigned myself to the fact that I probably wasn't going to get too excited about the moves the Phillies were going to make this offseason.  However, I was at least hoping to be optimistic about the moves they were going to make.  So far, that hasn't been the case.

Last Thursday, the Phillies officially signed catcher Wil Nieves to a one-year deal.  The 36-year-old veteran will back up Carlos Ruiz following the trade of Erik Kratz to the Blue Jays earlier last week.  The past two seasons have been the best of Nieves' 10-year career, as he hit .299 over 103 games with three home runs and 30 RBIs with the Rockies and Diamondbacks.  In the eight seasons that proceeded 2012, he hit .221 over 282 games with the Padres, Yankees, Nationals and Brewers.  The Phillies website has already assigned him uniform #21.

As a prospect with the Padres, Nieves appeared on his first mainstream baseball cards back in 2002.  His cardboard appearances waned throughout the decade, and his last major baseball card can be found in the 2010 Upper Deck set, when he was a member of the Nationals.

Moving On

Steven Lerud (10/1/13) - Elected free agency.  (Signed as a minor league free agent with the Atlanta Braves, 11/23/13)

Raul Valdes (10/2/13) - Claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros.

Tyler Cloyd (10/2/13) - Claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Indians.

Michael Martinez (10/7/13) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.

Zach Miner (10/7/13) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.

Pete Orr (10/7/13) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.

Roger Bernadina (10/17/13) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.

J.C. Ramirez (10/17/13) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.  (Signed as a minor league free agent with the Cleveland Indians, 11/1/13)

Casper Wells (10/17/13) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.  (Signed as a minor league free agent with the Chicago Cubs, 11/23/13)

John Lannan (10/17/13) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.

Roy Halladay (10/31/13) - Elected free agency.

Mauricio Robles (11/5/13) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and became a minor league free agent.

Erik Kratz (12/3/13) - Traded with Rob Rasmussen to the Toronto Blue Jays for Brad Lincoln.

Coming Back

Cesar Jimenez (11/15/13) - Signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training.

Carlos Ruiz (11/21/13) - Resigned by the Phillies to a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth year.

New Additions

Marlon Byrd (11/12/13) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Brad Lincoln (12/3/13) - Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for Erik Kratz and Rob Rasmussen.
Wil Nieves (12/5/13) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Arizona Diamondbacks.