Game 155 - 2018 Topps Update #US116 Asdrubal Cabrera

Nationals 7, Phillies 2
Game 155 - Monday Night, September 23rd in Washington
Record - 79-76, 4th place, 16 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Zach Eflin surrendered three home runs and Patrick Corbin easily handled the Phillies offense in this 7-2 loss.

What It Means:  This latest loss put the Phillies on the brink of play-off elimination with their magic number to elimination down to one.

What Happened:  Eflin has been inconsistent all season, and in this outing he gave up eight hits and four walks while allowing five runs.  The Phillies didn't have a chance against Corbin, and the offense went 0 for 9 on the night with runners in scoring position.

Featured Card:  Short-term Phillie Asdrubal Cabrera was signed by the Nationals in early August after being released by the Rangers.  He's currently hitting .305 with five home runs in 35 games so far with the Nationals, and he'll head into the postseason with the team.

Field Report:  I attended the Diamondbacks-Cardinals game on Monday night, and it was refreshing to take a break from the Phillies.  In the photo below, you can see the out of town scoreboard in the upper left-hand corner, showing the Phillies on their way to another loss.

Updating the List of Departed Phillies

2019 Chachi Departures #4

2019 Chachi Departures #5

2019 Chachi Departures #6

2019 Chachi Departures #7

2019 Chachi Departures #8

Before the inevitable announcement of the signing of both Bryce Harper and Manny Machado by the Phillies (ahem), I wanted to catch up on a few recent departures.

Super utility player Pedro Florimon joined the Braves on a minor league deal.  His official Phillies cards can be found in both team issued photo card sets from last season, and he's also erroneously portrayed on the 2017 Topps Now Players Weekend card for Nick Williams.

A quartet of short-time Phillies officially moved on as well with Justin Bour signing with the Angels, Wilson Ramos and Luis Avilan going to the rival Mets and Asdrubal Cabrera headed to the Rangers.  All four appear in the late season team-issued photo card update set, and Ramos and Cabrera also appear as Phillies in the Topps update set.

I've updated the Moving On list below for these moves and I'll present here the full Chachi checklists for these departed players as a final tribute.

Florimon Complete Chachi Checklist
2017 Chachi #54
2017 Chachi In Action #8
2018 Chachi #11
2018 Chachi Phillies Phestival #14 (with Maikel Franco)
2018 Chachi Fan Favorites #47
2019 Chachi Departures #4

Bour Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #50
2019 Chachi Departures #5

Ramos Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #51
2019 Chachi Departures #6

Avilan Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #52
2019 Chachi Departures #7

Cabrera Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #48
2018 Chachi #54 HL - Walk-off Home Run
2019 Chachi Departures #8

Moving On - 2018-2019 Offseason

• Trevor Plouffe - inf (10/4/18) - Elected free agency.
• Jose Bautista - of (10/29/18) - Elected free agency.
• Asdrubal Cabrera - inf (10/29/18) - Elected free agency, signed with the Texas Rangers on 1/24/19.
• Aaron Loup - lhp (10/29/18) - Elected free agency.
• Wilson Ramos - c (10/29/18) - Elected free agency, signed with the New York Mets on 12/18/18.
• Pedro Beato - rhp (11/2/18) - Elected free agency.
• Jesmuel Valentin - inf (11/2/18) - Elected free agency.
• Pedro Florimon - inf/of (11/3/18) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency and signed as a minor league free agent with the Atlanta Braves.
• Luis Avilan - lhp (11/30/18) - Non-tendered, becoming a free agent, signed as a minor league free agent with the New York Mets on 1/10/19.
• Justin Bour - 1b (11/30/18) - Non-tendered, becoming a free agent, signed with the Los Angeles Angels on 12/15/18.
• Carlos Santana - 1b and J.P. Crawford - ss (12/3/18) - Traded to the Seattle Mariners for James Pazos, Juan Nicasio and Jean Segura.
• Luis Garcia - rhp (12/6/18) - Traded to the Los Angeles Angels for Jose Alvarez.

New Arrivals - 2018-2019 Offseason

• James Pazos - lhp, Juan Nicasio - rhp and Jean Segura - ss (12/3/18) - Acquired from the Seattle Mariners for J.P. Crawford and Carlos Santana.
• Jose Alvarez - lhp (12/6/18) - Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for Luis Garcia.
• Andrew McCutchen - of (12/12/18) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Yankees.
• David Robertson - rhp (1/3/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Yankees.

Game 134 - Asdrubal's Walk-Off! (and How to Stay Dry at Harry the K's)

2018 Chachi #54

Phillies 2, Cubs 1 (10)
Game 134 - Friday Night, August 31st in Philadelphia
Record - 72-62, 2nd place, 2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Asdrubal Cabrera hit a walk-off home run in the 10th inning, sending the Phillies to a 2-1 victory in a game played entirely in the rain.

What It Means:  The Braves lost so after the heartbreak of last week, the Phillies are still only two games out of first place.

What Happened:  Nick Pivetta battled through five innings, allowing a run on five hits.  Five relievers then shut down the Cubs offense, capped by a scoreless 10th inning from Pat Neshek.  The first Phillies run came courtesy of a Cesar Hernandez single in the 6th, scoring Roman Quinn who had doubled to reach.

Featured Card:  I've not done a lot of official Chachi Highlight cards this year, but this seemed like a good occasion for one.  It also solves the problem of not currently having any Cabrera cards in my Phillies collection, although I imagine he'll receive a Topps Now card for his heroics.

Field Report:  And we were there!  Although in the interest of full disclosure we had left well before Cabrera's big hit.  We successfully managed to stretch our dinner at Harry the K's (where it's dry) from a half hour before gametime all the way to the 3rd inning.  Slow eating, ordering one thing at a time and the availability of several open tables were the keys to our success.

After the top of the 4th, the Phillies played a video tribute to the Cubs' new star pitcher, Cole Hamels.  It was a cool moment as Hamels emerged from the Cubs dugout and acknowledged the fans with a wave.  With Hamels' return, I think this means that every member of the 2008 World Champion club returned at some point this season to Citizens Bank Park.

2018 Chachi Special Edition #13

2018 Chachi Fan Favorites #48

Game 111 - 2018 The Shlabotnik Report Asdrubal Cabrera (@Shlabotnik_Rpt)

Phillies 5, Marlins 3
Game 111 - Sunday Afternoon, August 5th in Philadelphia
Record - 63-48, 1st place, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

Another Post-Vacation Catch-Up, Part 2 of 7

One Sentence Summary:  Asdrubal Cabrera broke a 3-3 tie in the 8th with a towering 2-run home run to right, sending the Phillies to a 5-3 win.

What It Means:  Prior to the game, the Phillies celebrated the 10th anniversary of the 2008 World Champions with many of the former players and coaches returning to be honored.

What Happened:  Aaron Nola allowed a pair of runs in his six innings of work, and the Marlins tied the game up in the 7th when Justin Bour homered off Seranthony Dominguez.  Cabrera's big hit untied the game in the 8th, and Tommy Hunter pitched a scoreless 9th for his 2nd save.

Featured Card:  I pride myself for my custom card creations, but they're technically more "tributes" than "customs."  I'm borrowing designs from old Topps cards, while the team over at The Shlabotnik Report creates a fresh, new design each year for their truly custom set.  To date, the only Phillies cards for Cabrera (that I'm aware of) are from this year's Chachi set and TSR.  If you're not familiar with the TSR output of truly custom cards, do yourself a favor and head on over there.

2008 Alumni Team Picture - 10th Anniversary

2018 Chachi #48 Asdrubal Cabrera

#13
Asdrubal Jose Cabrera
Infield

Bats:  Switch  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  205
Opening Day Age:  32
Born:  November 13, 1985, Puerto La Cruz, VZ
Signed:  Signed the Seattle Mariners as an amateur free agent, August 26, 2002
Teams:  Cleveland Indians 2007-2014; Washington Nationals 2014; Tampa Bay Rays 2015; New York Mets 2016-2018; Phillies 2018
Acquired:  Acquired from the New York Mets for Franklyn Kilome, July 27, 2018.

2008 Topps #617

0 Cabrera Baseball Cards in My Collection per The Phillies Room Checklist
First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2008 Topps #617
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
Newest Card:  N/A

First Mention on The Phillies Room:  July 13, 2011 - 2011 All-Star Game . . . The Phillies sent five players to the All-Star Game, but only three were eligible to play in the game.  Placido Polanco was voted by fans to be the starting third baseman for the National League but he had to sit out due to lingering back problems.  Ironically enough, the man traded away by the Phils to originally acquire Polanco started at third in his place - Scott Rolen.  Shane Victorino won the fans' Final Man vote, but he landed on the disabled list right before the break.

Cole Hamels was named to the squad but he was not allowed to pitch as a result of a new rule which made any of Sunday's starting pitchers ineligible to pitch in the All-Star game.

So injuries and a silly rule meant only two of the Phillies five representatives saw action in Phoenix. National League starting pitcher Roy Halladay threw two perfect innings, inducing three ground-outs, two fly outs and a strike out of the Indians' Asdrubal Cabrera.  He needed just 19 pitches (14 for strikes) in his quick outing.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2018 Chachi #48

Card statistics through 7/29/18.

Game 103 - Pivetta Struggles, Phils Acquire Cabrera from Mets

2017 Topps Heritage #116

2018 Bowman Prospects #BP84

Reds 6, Phillies 4
Game 103 - Friday Night, July 27th in Cincinnati
Record - 58-45, 1st place, 2 1/2 games ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Nick Pivetta continued his hot and cold season with a 12-strikeout performance, but he allowed five runs to score in this 6-4 loss to the Reds.

What It Means:  The Braves lost to the Dodgers so the Phillies hold steady with a 2 1/2 game lead in the division.

What Happened:  The big blow was a 3-run home run allowed to Mason Williams in the 4th inning.  Odubel Herrera hit a 2-run home run (19) in the 3rd, while Rhys Hoskins and Cesar Hernandez contributed RBI singles.  Former Phillie David Hernandez collected the win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

Featured Cards/Transactions:  There were a few roster moves made before the game.  As expected, Ranger Suarez was optioned back to Lehigh Valley and outfielder Roman Quinn was recalled to take his place.  Quinn, hopefully now healthy, will provide a much-needed boost to the bench from both an offensive and defensive standpoint.  Adam Morgan was placed on the paternity list and Yacksel Rios was recalled to take his place in the bullpen.

And at long last, the Phillies pulled off a trade.  Pitching prospect Franklyn Kilome was sent to the New York Mets for infielder Asdrubal Cabrera.  No one is quite sure where Cabrera will play (probably shortstop) but his 18 home runs and 58 RBIs will be a welcome addition to the line-up.  Cabrera was a two-time All-Star with the Indians in 2011 and 2012 and he played for 8 seasons in Cleveland (2007-2014).  Since then, he's played with the Nationals (2014), Rays (2015) and Mets (2016-2018).  It looks as if his one 2018 mainstream baseball card can be found within Topps Series Two.

Kilome is a high price to play for a rental player.  Although his stock has fallen somewhat in recent years, he was still regarded as one of the franchise's top pitching prospects.  In 19 starts for Double-A Reading this year, he was 4-6 with a 4.24 ERA.  I've accumulated 24 baseball cards of this now ex-Phillie since 2015, and his latest (final?) Phillies card can be found in this year's Bowman release.

Arrived During the 2018 Season
Trevor Plouffe (4/23/18) - Signed as a minor league free agent, formerly with the Texas Rangers organization.
Asdrubal Cabrera (7/27/18) - Acquired from the New York Mets for Franklyn Kilome.

Departed During the 2018 Season
Drew Hutchison (6/5/18) - Designated for assignment and elected free agency.
Hoby Milner (7/15/18) - Sold to the Tampa Bay Rays.