2014 Chachi Almost #5 Jo-Jo Reyes

I'm more than a little shocked that the number of names featured below hasn't grown over the past several months.  In early July, it seemed as if the Phillies were primed for a complete fire sale with veterans and upcoming free agents heading to contending teams.  To date, the Phils have made one trade, sending Roberto Hernandez to the Dodgers.

The first player to be named later in that deal was actually named recently - infielder Jesmuel Valentin, son of former big leaguer Jose Valentin.  The younger Valentin has appeared in the 2012 Bowman Draft set and the 2014 Topps Pro Debut set, along with a few other prospect-based sets such as Elite and Leaf.

The player featured here, the latest member of the Chachi Almost insert set, was a long-shot to ever join the list below of "Arrived During the Season."  Jo-Jo Reyes last pitched in the Majors in 2011 with the Orioles.  Since then, he's pitched within the Pirates and Angels organizations and he spent 2013 pitching in Korea.  The Phils signed him to a minor league deal in early July and in five starts with the IronPigs, Reyes went 1-3 with a 10.45 ERA.  He was recently released, but at least his time within the Phillies organization will be marked with a Chachi Almost card.

(And here's a little family secret . . . when my wife was pregnant with our second son, we joked with friends and family that we were going to name him Jo-Jo.  We were both excited when Reyes signed his deal with the Phillies and slightly disappointed when it didn't pan out.)

Departed During the Season

Jayson Nix (5/12/14) - Outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.  (Signed with the Tampa Bay Rays organization.)

Ronny Cedeno (6/29/14) - Traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for catcher Raywilly Gomez.

Steve Susdorf (7/10/14) - Released by the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Tony Gwynn, Jr. (7/21/14) - Designated for assignment and released on 7/27/14.  (Resigned to a minor league contract by the Phillies on 8/3/14.)

Roberto Hernandez (8/7/14) - Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for two players to be named later or cash.

Arrived During the Season

Grady Sizemore (6/24/14) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Boston Red Sox.

Jerome Williams (8/10/14) - Selected off waivers from the Texas Rangers.