Countdown to Opening Day Begins

2025 Chachi Almost #2

2025 Chachi Almost #3

2025 Chachi Almost #4

2025 Chachi Almost #5

With the Dodgers sealing an 11th inning, Game 7 victory over the Blue Jays early this morning, the baseball offseason is officially underway.  Nine former Phillies are now free agents, and if I had my way, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Ranger Suarez, in that order, would all return to the fold for the 2026 season.  Before we shutter The Phillies Room for some offseason maintenance of our own, breaking only occasionally for some offseason news, here's a look at a few 2025 Chachi cards that didn't make it out of the draft folder, and a summary of the first 2025-26 offseason transactions.

2025 Chachi Almost #6

2025 Chachi Almost #7

2025 Chachi Almost #8

Chachi Almost:  I felt the seven players shown here had a chance to suit up with the Phillies in 2025, so Chachi cards were created for them in March.  None of the seven, along with the previously seen Tyler Phillips card, got the call to Citizens Bank Park during the year.  

Oscar Mercado (of) and Rodolfo Castro (inf) had brief stints with the Phillies in prior years.  Kyle Tyler (rhp) was released in July, signing with the White Sox organization less than a week later.  Koyo Aoyagi (rhp) went back to Japan following his release in June, pitching briefly with the Yakult Swallows.  Nabil Crismatt (rhp) was released in August and appeared in eight games for the Diamondbacks, going 3-0 with a 3.71 ERA in 34 innings pitched.  Christian Arroyo (inf) spent the entire season with the IronPigs, as did Devin Sweet (rhp).

October 10 - Sweet, Walton Depart:  In the first moves of the offseason, Sweet and Donovan Walton (inf) became minor league free agents.  Walton appeared in a pair of games with the Phillies in September, making two starts at second base and going 1 for 9.

November 2 - Free Agency Opens:  Nine players officially became free agents at the conclusion of the World Series - Walker Buehler (rhp), Max Kepler (of), Tim Mayza (lhp), Realmuto (c), David Robertson (rhp), Jordan Romano (rhp), Schwarber (dh), Suarez (lhp), and Lou Trivino (rhp).

2024 Chachi Leftovers

2024 Chachi Almost #2

2024 Chachi Almost #3

2024 Chachi Almost #4

2024 Chachi Friendly Encounters #3

With pitchers and catchers having reported to Clearwater and only a matter of weeks to go before spring training games start, I wanted to clear out my draft folder and post a few lingering 2024 Chachi cards.  Before Christmas, I began posting cards from the 2024 Chachi set on a daily basis, wrapping up with card #64, Seth Johnson, on February 6th.  I start the process of creating Chachi cards this time each year, and as was the case with the players featured here, they did not actually suit up with the Phillies in 2024 and therefore weren't part of the official 2024 Chachi set.

Darick Hall (1b) - Hall played in 59 games with the Phillies between 2022 and 2023, and spent all of last season with the Triple-A IronPigs.  In December, he signed as a minor league free agent with the Pirates.

Rodolfo Castro (inf) - Castro lost the 2024 season to injuries, and he's back in camp with the Phillies in 2025 as a non-roster invitee.

Dylan Covey (rhp) - Covey and his beard made 28 appearances for the Phillies in 2023, making one start.  He too was hit by the injury bug in 2024, pitching in 18 games with three of the Phillies' minor league teams.  He was signed by the Mets on Halloween, placed on waivers on February 6th, and signed by the Braves on February 11th.

And finally, we met Jose Alvarado at an autograph signing at the Deptford Mall back in July.  Kody Clemens was also there and I briefly wrote about this poorly organized event here.

And with those three cards out of the way, and cleared from my draft folder, it's time to turn the page to the 2025 Chachi set!

2024-25 Offseason Begins - Early November Notes (Part 2)

2024 Topps Heritage #242

2024 Topps #571

2024 Choice Rocket City Trash Pandas #13

Once I started summarizing the player moves over the first week of the offseason, I realized I needed to break everything into two posts given the flurry of activity on Monday, November 4th.  (Part 1 of these Early November Notes can be found here.)

Devin Sweet (rhp) was acquired from the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations and added to the 40-man roster.  Sweet has pitched in seven big-league games, all in 2023, with the Mariners and Athletics.

John McMillon (rhp) was claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins.  He's appeared in 14 games with the Royals and Marlins over the past two seasons, and was the winning pitcher in the Marlins game against the Phillies on September 7th.

Alan Rangel (rhp) who appeared in 10 games for the IronPigs in 2024, and who had pitched in seven seasons in the Braves' minor league system, was added to the 40-man roster.

Clearing space on the 40-man roster, the Phillies outrighted Yunior Marte (rhp), Luis F. Ortiz (rhp), Freddy Tarnok (rhp), Kolby Allard (lhp) and Rodolfo Castro (inf), with all clearing waivers and becoming free agents.  Marte relieved in 63 games for the Phillies over the past two seasons, and was 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA in 65 1/3 innings pitched.  Ortiz appeared in 15 games for the Phillies, with just one game this past season, and had a 4.12 ERA in 19 2/3 innings pitched.  He spent the bulk of 2024 on the injured list.

Tarnok never pitched for the Phillies.  Allard was a somewhat reliable emergency fifth starter for the club, going 2-0 with a 5.00 ERA, finding his most success in two starts in August.  Added to the NLDS roster, he didn't appear in any of the four games.  Like Ortiz, Castro was injured for a lot of 2024, and never got the call back to the majors.  In 14 games with the Phillies in 2023, he batted .100 (3 for 30).  Marte, Ortiz and Castro have their only Phillies cardboard appearances in the somewhat rare 2024 team-issued photo cards, shown below.

2023 Chachi #50 Rodolfo Castro

#29

Rodolfo Castro
Infield

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  205
Opening Day Age:  23

Born:  May 21, 1999, Los Llanos, Dominican Republic
Acquired:  Traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Phillies for Bailey Falter, August 1, 2023

Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible 2026
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 2021-2023; Philadelphia Phillies 2023

Looking to add another infield glove, the Phillies acquired Rodolfo Castro from the Pirates for pitcher Bailey Falter at this year's trade deadline.  So far in his career, Castro has been the embodiment of the all glove, little bat middle infielder, batting .226 in 180 games with the Pirates.  Through Friday night with the Phillies, he's batting .063 (1 for 16), having made just three starts at third base or second base.

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  2022 Topps #85
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  2022-2023
Newest Card Added to My Phillies Collection:  2023 Topps #484
Total Cards in My Phillies Collection:  1 as of 8/19/23.

Complete Chachi Checklist

2023 Chachi #50

2023 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2023 Season Summary Index / 2023 Chachi Set Checklist

2023 Chachi #49 Michael Lorenzen / 2023 Chachi #51 Weston Wilson

Game 107 - Phils Storm Back in 9th for Win; Acquire Lorenzen, Castro

2023 Topps Heritage #134

Phillies 3, Marlins 1
Game 107 - Tuesday Night, August 1st in Miami
Record - 58-49, 2nd Place, 11 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies were held scoreless and mostly lifeless until a three-run outburst in the ninth inning, capped by a Nick Castellanos two-run home run, sent them to this 3-1 win.

What It Means:  A statement was needed against the division rival Marlins, and after this game things looked to be headed in the right direction.

What Happened:  Phillies' batters were thrilled to see Marlins' starter Sandy Alcantara exit the game after nine innings.  Alcantara shut down the Phillies through eight, allowing four hits and striking out five.  Phillies' starter Ranger Suarez was hit often, but somehow managed to give up only a run on 10 hits and a pair of walks in 6 1/3 innings.  

Down to their final at-bat, trailing 1-0 in the top of the 9th, Kyle Schwarber led off the inning with a walk drawn from new Marlins' closer David Robertson.  Bryce Harper would double home pinch-runner Jake Cave a batter later, tying the game.  Castellanos then delivered his 15th home run of the year to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead.  Seranthony Dominguez was perfect in the bottom of the ninth, recording his first save of the season.

Featured Card:  Here's this year's Topps Heritage card for the Phillies' All-Star, who had bee struggling mightily before his big home run.

2023 Topps #564

2023 Bowman Prospects #BP-52

2023 Topps #484

2023 Topps #643

Transactions:  On trade deadline day, the Phillies pulled off two deals.  First, Michael Lorenzen (rhp) was acquired from the Tigers for prospect Hao-Yu Lee (inf).  Lorenzen was an All-Star this year in his first year with the Tigers.  He's a veteran of nine big league seasons, where he's been primarily a starter in only his first year, 2015 with the Reds, and these past two seasons with the Angels and Tigers.  He's 36-36 lifetime with a 4.02 ERA in 331 games pitched.  A threat at the plate too, he's a lifetime .233 batter with seven home runs, including two against the Phillies.  Lee was batting .283 in 64 games this season with the Low-A Jersey Shore BlueClaws.

Second, the Phillies traded Bailey Falter (lhp) to the Pirates for Rodolfo Castro (inf).  In 2 1/2 seasons with the Pirates, Castro batted .226 in 180 games with 22 home runs and 57 RBIs.  Falter showed flashes of brilliance during his two-plus years with the Phillies, but overall he was 8-12 with a 4.56 ERA in 50 games, including 24 starts.  He was lit up by the Padres in last year's NLCS Game 4, allowing four runs in the first in a game the Phillies would ultimately win, 10-6.

Josh Harrison (inf) was designated for assignment to make room for Lorenzen on the 40-man roster, meaning the Phillies played with an open roster spot in this game.

2023 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2023 Season Summary Index / 2023 Chachi Set Checklist