Final Look at 2015-2016 Offseason Moves

2016 Chachi Departures #19

2016 Chachi Departures #13

2016 Chachi Departures #15

2016 Chachi Departures #18

2016 Chachi Departures #14

2016 Chachi Departures #20

2016 Chachi Departures #22

2016 Chachi Departures #21

2016 Chachi Departures #16

2016 Chachi Departures #17

I wanted to take one last look at the offseason additions and departures before we get too far into the regular season.  As can be expected when a team loses 99 games, there were a ton of personnel moves between the final out in October and opening day in Cincinnati.

I also wanted to post the remaining Chachi Departures cards of the 2015 Phillies players who are no longer with the organization, some of whom have yet to latch on with a new club.

For the new additions below, I'm only including players who are currently on the 40-man roster.

Moving On - 2015-2016 Offseason

• Chase d'Arnaud - inf (10/9/15) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent the Atlanta Braves, 11/24/15.
• Justin De Fratus - rhp (10/9/15) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed with the Seattle Mariners, 12/2/15.
• Erik Kratz - c (10/9/15) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the San Diego Padres, 11/8/15.
• Sean O'Sullivan - rhp (10/9/15) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Boston Red Sox, 12/11/15.
• Kevin Correia - rhp (10/10/15) - Elected free agency.
• Adam Loewen - lhp (10/10/15) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Arizona Diamondbacks, 11/7/15.
• Dustin McGowan - rhp (10/10/15) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Miami Marlins, 12/10/15.
• Seth Rosin - rhp (10/10/15) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the San Diego Padres, 2/8/16.
• Brian Bogusevic - of (10/26/15) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed with the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese Pacific League, 12/9/15.
• Domonic Brown - of (10/26/15) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays, 2/25/16.
• Chad Billingsley - rhp (11/2/15) - Elected free agency.
• Jeff Francoeur - of (11/2/15) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Atlanta Braves, 2/22/16.
• Aaron Harang - rhp (11/2/15) - Elected free agency.
• Jerome Williams - rhp (11/2/15) - Elected free agency.
• Cliff Lee - lhp (11/2/15) - Team option declined and elected free agency.
• Jordan Danks - of (11/6/15) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Texas Rangers, 1/19/16.
• Ethan Martin - rhp (11/6/15) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Atlanta Braves, 12/11/15.
• Jonathan Pettibone - rhp (11/6/15) - Elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Chicago Cubs, 1/29/16.
• Nefi Ogando - rhp (12/2/15) - Claimed off waivers by the Miami Marlins.
• Ken Giles - rhp (12/12/15) - Traded with Jonathan Arauz to the Houston Astros for Mark Appel, Harold Arauz, Thomas Eshelman, Brett Oberholtzer and Vince Velasquez.
• Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez - rhp (4/1/16) - Released.
• Ken Roberts - lhp (4/1/16) - Released.

New Additions - 2015-2016 Offseason

• James Russell - lhp (11/12/15) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Chicago Cubs.
• Jeremy Hellickson - rhp (11/14/15) - Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks for Sam McWilliams.
• Emmanuel Burriss - inf (11/18/15) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Washington Nationals.
• Michael Mariot - rhp (11/30/15) - Claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Royals.
• Peter Bourjos - of (12/2/15) - Claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals.
• David Hernandez - rhp (12/9/15) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
• Tyler Goeddel - of (12/10/15) - Selected from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Rule 5 draft.
• Daniel Stumpf - lhp (12/10/15) - Selected from the Kansas City Royals in the Rule 5 draft.
• Charlie Morton - rhp (12/12/15) - Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for David Whitehead.
• Brett Oberholtzer - lhp and Vince Velasquez - rhp (12/12/15) - Acquired with Mark Appel, Harold Arauz and Thomas Eshelman from the Houston Astros for Ken Giles and Jonathan Arauz.
• Cedric Hunter  - of (1/12/16) - Signed as a minor league free agent formerly with the Atlanta Braves.
• Taylor Featherston - inf (2/10/16) - Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for a player to be named later or cash.

Already Gone - 2015-2016 Offseason

• Dan Otero - rhp (11/3/15) - Claimed off waivers from the Oakland Athletics. (Designated for assignment, 12/12/15 and traded to the Cleveland Indians for cash considerations, 12/18/15.)
• A.J. Achter - rhp (11/20/15) - Claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins. (Designated for assignment, 12/12/15 and claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels, 12/17/15.)

2015 Topps Bunt Phillies

Thanks to a tip and a series of e-mails from fellow collector Burnell, I was made aware of several 2015 Topps Phillies variations to be found within the Topps Bunt App.  I have no idea how this App actually works, but I do know that it seems to be very popular.  From the official description from the Topps website:

Topps BUNT is the only real-time, real world Major League Baseball digital trading card game where the cards you own and collect earn points based on how your players perform on the field each day. Download BUNT for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch on the App Store.

Burnell sent me the scans shown in this post, and based on these cards I may have to give the App a try in 2016.  The design is the same as the 2015 flagship design with the exception of the Phillies "P" replacing the primary logo on the front and some dots appearing along the right borders.  Several Phillies players who were inexplicably omitted from the 2015 Topps Update set have cards available through the App, and I'll probably eventually print these to be added to my 2015 Phillies binder.

Interestingly enough, the images for Luis Garcia and Severino Gonzalez are swapped.

2015 Phillies Team Issue 2 #38 Chad Billingsley

Phillies 7, Dodgers 2
Game 86 - Late Tuesday Night, July 7th in Los Angeles
Record - 29-57, 5th Place, 18 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Chad Billingsley and Jeff Francoeur starred in the 7-2 win over the Dodgers.

What It Means:  Billingsley won against his former team, and it was his first win since April 10, 2013.  Elbow surgeries had sidelined the pitcher for most of the past two seasons.

What Happened:  Billingsley pitched six innings, allowing just two runs on six hits.  The bullpen trio of Luis Garcia, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon pitched in their intended roles for one of the few times this season and held the Dodgers scoreless over the final three innings.  Francoeur hit a two-run double in the third and a solo home run in the seventh.

Featured Card:  Billingsley only has two Phillies baseball cards to date, and they can be found in the team's first and second photo card sets available for sale at the ballpark.

Don't forget to vote in the poll (on the left sidebar) to help determine the design to be used for the 2016 Chachi set!

2015 Chachi #38 Chad Billingsley

#38

Chad Ryan Billingsley

Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  240

Born:  July 29, 1984, Defiance, OH

Home:  Robesonia, PA

Drafted:  Selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1st round of the June 2003 draft

Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 2006-2013, Phillies 2015

Acquired:  Signed by the Phillies as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers, January 29, 2015

2005 Topps #692

2015 Phillies Team Issue #38

1 Billingsley Baseball Card in My Collection per Zistle
First Card:  2015 Phillies Team Issue #38
First Phillies Card:  2015 Phillies Team Issue #38
First Phillies Topps Base Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  2015 Phillies Team Issue #38
Latest Card:  2015 Phillies Team Issue #38

First Topps Base Card:  2005 Topps #692 (with Joel Guzman)
First Chachi Base Card:  2015 Chachi #38

Billingsley Games I've Attended per Hardball Passport

Cards and game statistics through 5/22/15.

2015 Phillies Team Issue #38 Chad Billingsley

Braves 9, Phillies 0
Game 28 - Tuesday Night, May 5th in Atlanta
Record - 10-18, 5th Place, 7 1/2 games behind the Mets

One Sentence Summary:  Chad Billingsley returned to the mound after a two-year absence, but the Braves spoiled his comeback with a lopsided 9-0 win.

What It Means:  This was just an awful game for the Phillies.  In a rarity for me, I turned this game off and went to bed.

What Happened:  Billingsley last pitched in a game in April 2013 and since then he's had Tommy John surgery (in April 2013) and right flexor tendon surgery (in June 2014).  He lasted five innings, giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits while striking out two.  Two of his eight hits allowed were home runs.

Shelby Miller handcuffed the offense, throwing a complete game shutout in just 99 pitches and allowing three Phillies hits.

Featured Card:  Good for Billingsley for persevering and making it back to the Majors after his two year absence.  His first and only Phillies baseball card at this point can be found within the team issued set.

Transaction:  Billingsley was activated from the disabled list prior to the game.

Billingsley Arrives, Horst Departs

2015 Chachi New Additions #7

2015 Chachi Departures #8

On Thursday, the Phillies singed right-handed pitcher Chad Billingsley, who has missed most of the past two seasons due to injury.  Billingsley is expected to start the season on the disabled list, but he could join the starting pitching rotation by late April.  Phillies fans will remember Billingsley as the losing pitcher in all three N.L.C.S. games in which they faced him - Games 2 and 5 of the 2008 series, and Game 3 of the 2009 series.

Despite missing the entire 2014 season, Billingsley was card #623 in the 2014 Topps set.  He'll wear #38 with the Phillies, which of course was Kyle Kendrick's old number.  Cesar Jimenez was designated for assignment to make room for Billingsley on the 40-man roster, and Jimenez is currently in roster limbo.

Going the other way to the Dodgers, in a completely unrelated move, is Jeremy Horst.  The lefty reliever signed with the Dodgers as minor league free agent this past week.  Horst spent all of 2014 with the Triple-A IronPigs.  He was one of the team's most reliable relievers in 2012, going 2-0 with a 1.15 ERA over 32 games.  Horst's only three Phillies baseball cards can be found in the 2012 second team issued set and both 2013 team issued sets.

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.
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.
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.