Looking Back on 2021-2022 Roster Moves

2022 Chachi Almost #2

2022 Chachi Almost #3

2022 Chachi Almost #5

2022 Chachi Almost #6

It's that time of year where I clear out my draft post folder and prepare for the upcoming season.  Looking at the list below, summarizing all the comings and goings of former and current Phillies between the end of the 2021 season and the end of the 2022 season, there's no way I would have predicted the moves made would have resulted in a World Series appearance.

The four cards above, created this time last year, became Chachi Almost cards as none of the players shown suited up for the club in 2022.

	2021-2022 Offseason Departures	Date	Transaction
	Archie Bradley (rhp)	11/3/21	Elected free agency, signed with the Los Angeles Angels, 3/18/22.
	Freddy Galvis (inf)	11/3/21	Elected free agency, signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, 12/16/21.
	Ian Kennedy (rhp)	11/3/21	Elected free agency, signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, 3/16/22.
	Brad Miller (inf)	11/3/21	Elected free agency, signed with the Texas Rangers, 3/17/22.
	Matt Moore (lhp)	11/3/21	Elected free agency, signed with the Texas Rangers, 3/14/22.
	Hector Neris (rhp)	11/3/21	Elected free agency, signed with the Houston Astros, 11/30/21.
	Andrew McCutchen (of)	11/3/21	Club option declined, elected free agency, signed with the Milwaukee Brewers, 3/16/22.
	JD Hammer (rhp)	11/5/21	Outrighted, elected free agency, signed with the Colorado Rockies, 3/13/22.
	Travis Jankowski (of)	11/5/21	Outrighted, elected free agency, signed with the New York Mets, 3/17/22.
	Andrew Knapp (c)	11/5/21	Outrighted, elected free agency, signed with the Cincinnati Reds, 12/1/21.
	Ramon Rosso (rhp)	11/5/21	Outrighted, elected free agency, signed with the Detroit Tigers, 3/14/22.
	Mauricio Llovera (rhp)	11/7/21	Elected free agency, signed with the San Francisco Giants, 12/3/21.
	David Paulino (rhp)	11/7/21	Elected free agency.
	Roman Quinn (of)	11/30/21	Non-tendered, elected free agency, signed with the Miami Marlins, 3/12/22.
	Adonis Medina (rhp)	3/6/22	Claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
	Luke Williams (of)	3/27/22	Traded to the San Francisco Giants for Will Toffey (inf) and cash.
	Adam Haseley (of)	3/29/22	Traded to the Chicago White Sox for McKinley Moore (rhp).
	Coming Back
	Jorge Bonifacio (of)	10/8/21	Released, re-signed with Phillies (3/30/22).
	Cam Bedrosian (rhp)	11/3/21	Elected free agency, re-signed with Phillies (12/1/21).
	Odubel Herrera (of)	11/5/21	Outrighted, elected free agency, re-signed with Phillies (3/16/22).
	Ronald Torreyes (inf)	11/5/21	Outrighted, elected free agency, re-signed with Phillies (3/20/22).
	2021-2022 Offseason Additions
	Nick Nelson (rhp)	11/19/21	Acquired from the New York Yankees for Joel Valdez (lhp) and T.J. Rumfield (1b)
	Donny Sands (c)	11/19/21	--
	Garrett Stubbs (c)	11/19/21	Acquired from the Houston Astros for Logan Cerny (of)
	Corey Knebel (rhp)	12/1/21	Signed as a free agent formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
	Johan Camargo (inf)	12/1/21	Signed as a free agent formerly with the Atlanta Braves.
	Jeurys Familia (rhp)	3/15/22	Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Mets.
	Brad Hand (lhp)	3/15/22	Signed as a free agent formerly with the New York Mets.
	Kyle Schwarber (of)	3/20/22	Signed as a free agent formerly with the Boston Red Sox.
	Nick Castellanos (of)	3/22/22	Signed as a free agent formerly with the Cincinnati Reds.

	Arrived During the 2022 Season	Date	Transaction
	Roman Quinn - of	4/9/22	Signed as a free agent formerly with the Miami Marlins.
	Michael Plassmeyer - lhp	6/8/22	Acquired from the San Francisco Giants for Austin Wynns.
	Oscar Mercado - of	6/27/22	Claimed off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians.
	Edmundo Sosa - ss	7/30/22	Acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals for JoJo Romero.
	Brandon Marsh - of	8/2/22	Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for Logan O'Hoppe.
	David Robertson - rhp	8/2/22	Acquired from the Chicago Cubs for Ben Brown.
	Noah Syndergaard - rhp	8/2/22	Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for Mickey Moniak and Jadiel Sanchez.
	Bradley Zimmer - of	8/18/22	Claimed off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.
	Chris Devenski - rhp	8/29/22	Signed as a free agent formerly with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
	Vinny Nittoli - rhp	8/31/22	Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for Karl Ellison.
	Departed During the 2022 Season
	Ronald Torreyes - inf	4/26/22	Released.
	Roman Quinn - of	6/5/22	Granted free agency, signed with the Kansas City Royals, 6/9/22.
	James Norwood - rhp	6/18/22	Traded to the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations.
	Kyle Dohy - lhp	6/23/22	Released.
	Oscar Mercado - of	7/4/22	Claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Guardians.
	JoJo Romero - lhp	7/30/22	Traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Edmundo Sosa.
	Mickey Moniak - of	8/2/22	Traded to the Los Angeles Angels with Jadiel Sanchez for Noah Syndergaard.
	Didi Gregorius - ss	8/4/22	Released.
	Odubel Herrera - of	8/6/22	Released.
	Jeurys Familia - rhp	8/6/22	Released, signed with the Boston Red Sox, 8/9/22.
	Cam Bedrosian - rhp	8/8/22	Released.
	Tyler Cyr - rhp	8/24/22	Claimed off waivers by the Oakland Athletics.
	Bradley Zimmer - of	8/29/22	Claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Spring Training Game 23 - Turner's WBC Performance Overshadows Phils

2022 Topps Gypsy Queen #203

Red Sox 9, Phillies 5
Spring Training Game 22 - Sunday Afternoon, March 19th in Clearwater
Record - 11-11-1

One Sentence Summary:  The minor league Red Sox defeated the Phillies' minor league pitching staff in this 9-5 loss in Clearwater.

What It Means:  Most of the baseball world continues to marvel at what Trea Turner is doing in the World Baseball Classic, and the fight for the final bench or bullpen spots isn't really on many Phillies fan's minds at this point.  Turner hit a dramatic and eventual game-winning grand slam on Saturday night against Venezuela and then hit two more home runs in the 14-2 win over Cuba in the semifinals on Sunday night.

What Happened:  Back in Clearwater, it was a lazy Sunday afternoon spring exhibition game.  The Phillies offense had only five hits.  Rhys Hoskins hit a solo home run in the first, Cody Roberts hit a two-run home run in the third and Nick Castellanos contributed a two-run double in the fifth.  The Phillies went with a minor league bullpen game for their pitching and it's unlikely any of the nine pitchers used will head north with the team in less than two weeks.

Featured Card:  Hans Crouse pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the Phillies.  Crouse is the only remaining player in the organization from the July 2021 Spencer Howard trade with the Rangers, and he started two games at the very end of the 2021 season for the Phillies.  He missed nearly all of 2022 with an arm injury, but that didn't stop Topps from including him in at least four of its sets, including Gypsy Queen, shown here.

Camp Head Count:  55

2021 Chachi #67 Hans Crouse

#51
Hans Michael Crouse
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  180
Opening Day Age:  22
Born:  September 15, 1998, Dana Point, CA
How Obtained:  Acquired from the Texas Rangers with Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy for Josh Gessner, Kevin Gowdy and Spencer Howard, July 30, 2021
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 2021

First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Minor League Card:  2021 Choice Reading Fightin Phils Update #6
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A

Newest Card Added:  2021 Choice Reading Fightin Phils Update #6

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

1 - Crouse baseball card in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 9/26/21.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2021 Chachi #10

2021 Chachi Friendly Encounters #4

Hans Crouse joined the Phillies organization from the Spencer Howard trade, and he had been one of the top pitching prospects in the Rangers' system.  He pitched well for Double-A Reading, going 2-2 with a 2.73 ERA over six starts and striking out 38 over 29 2/3 innings pitched.  He made one start for the Triple-A IronPigs and was touched for three runs in 4 1/3 innings.  Crouse was the surprise starting pitcher in the Phillies regular season home finale on Sunday afternoon.  Following the game, I believe my oldest son Doug was the recipient of the first autograph signed by Crouse as a Major League ballplayer as Doug had him sign a foul ball he had tracked down during the first inning.

2021 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2021 Season Summary Index / 2021 Chachi Set Checklist

Game 156 - Fan Appreciation Day Doesn't Deliver Much Appreciation

Pirates 6, Phillies 0
Game 156 - Sunday Afternoon, September 26th in Philadelphia
Record - 81-75, 2nd Place, 2 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies went down quietly in their final regular season home game of the 2021 season.

What It Means:  It all comes down to the final six games.  The Phillies and Brave face off in Atlanta for three games beginning on Tuesday night with the Braves holding a 2 1/2 game lead in the division.  The Phillies then head to Miami for a final series while the Braves will take on the Mets at home.

What Happened:  Hans Crouse got the call as the team's surprise starter and he made his big league debut.  On the first pitch he threw, Pirates second baseman Cole Tucker drilled a home run that banged off the right field foul ball.  Crouse, who settled down after that, combined with Cristopher Sanchez and Cam Bedrosian to keep the Padres from scoring again through six innings.  Unfortunately, the Phillies couldn't get anything together either.  In the seventh, Jose Alvarado endured a nightmare inning with the following sequence:  walk, balk, ground out, intentional walk, wild pitch, double, intentional walk, fly out.  The Pirates would tack on three more runs after that.  The Phillies offense had six hits and left nine runners on base.

Featured Card/Field Report:  All four of us enjoyed (?) this game from the Diamond Club with the pregame meals of choice being Bull's BBQ (one more time) for Doug and me and Pass and Stowe for Jenna and Ben.  As he did in 2019, Bryce Harper came out onto the field before the first pitch and addressed the fans, thanking us for our dedication.  Once in our seats, Doug added the third foul ball of the season to his collection!  He alertly picked up a foul ball thrown by Crouse and launched behind us off the bat of Bryan Reynolds after it had caromed down from the section above us.

Doug and I briefly met up with our friend and fellow collector Steve, Ben got to say hello to the Phillie Phanatic for the first time in two years and at least the weather was perfect.  We lingered after the final pitch and Doug noticed the newest Phillies pitcher Crouse by the dugout meeting with his family.  Crouse signed Doug's foul ball and the day was deemed a success, despite the product on the field.  I have to imagine that's the first autograph Crouse signed as a big league ballplayer.  Best case scenario, we return to the ballpark the second week of October for the divisional series against the Brewers.  Worst case scenario, we're back on April 8th when the Phillies open the 2022 season against the Athletics.

Transaction:  Crouse (rhp) had his contract selected from Lehigh Valley and Matt Joyce (of) was designated for assignment.

2021 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2021 Season Summary Index / 2021 Chachi Set Checklist

Phillies Trade Deadline Round-Up (Hooray?)

On Friday afternoon, the Phillies pulled the trigger on a trio of trades that will hopefully make them a better team for the rest of this season and potentially beyond.  I don't know enough about the prospects dealt or most of the players received to compose an in-depth analysis, so this post will focus on the baseball cards of the players leaving the organization and the new players who we'll get to know better in the coming months.

2021 Indianapolis Indians Team Issue

2019 Choice Lakewood BlueClaws #8

Trade #1 - Warming Up

Phillies acquire Braeden Ogle (lhp) from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Abrahan Gutierrez (c)

This doesn't help the team immediately, but Braeden Ogle is a highly-rated pitching prospect who had yet to appear in the majors with the Pirates.  Drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, Ogle had a 3.13 ERA over 31 2/3 innings pitched this season with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.  To date he's appeared on some pre-rookie cards with Leaf and a few Pirates' minor league team sets.

Abrahan Gutierrez was supposed to head to the Pirates in the aborted Tyler Anderson deal.  He was batting .288 with the Low-A Clearwater Threshers, and I have two of his baseball cards in my collection, both from 2019 Lakewood BlueClaws team sets.

2021 Topps Heritage #224

2020 Topps Heritage #213

2020 Bowman Prospects #BP-119

2021 Topps Gypsy Queen #231

2019 Choice Lakewood BlueClaws #7

Trade #2 - The Big One

Phillies acquire Kyle Gibson (rhp), Ian Kennedy (rhp), Hans Crouse (rhp) and cash for Spencer Howard (rhp), Kevin Gowdy (rhp) and Josh Gessner (rhp).

Kyle Gibson was an All-Star this year with the Rangers and in 19 starts he's 6-3 with a 2.87 ERA.  He came up with the Twins in 2013, where he spent the first seven seasons of his career.  Gibson has appeared in six Topps flagship sets beginning in 2013, and then between 2015 and 2020.  He's in the 2021 Topps Heritage set, and I imagine he'll receive an All-Star card in the 2021 Topps Update set.

Veteran Kennedy is in his 15th big league season and in 32 games with the Rangers this year he has a 2.51 ERA with 16 saves.  Kennedy was a 21-game winner with the Diamondbacks in 2011, and he converted to a closer in 2019, saving 30 games for the Royals.  He's appeared in Topps flagship sets most years dating back to 2010, and he appears with the Royals in this year's flagship set.  He could assume the closer role with Ranger Suarez potentially returning to the starting rotation.

Crouse is interesting here, as he's apparently one of the Rangers' top pitching prospects.  His most readily available cards can be found in the 2020 Bowman set.

I'm genuinely sad to see Spencer Howard go, and it's tough to accept he went from the team's top pitching prospect to a complete question mark in such a short span of time.  I have 36 of his cards in my Phillies collection to date, and I'll continue to root for him even if he's wearing a Rangers uniform.  Kevin Gowdy was the Phillies' second round pick (after Mickey Moniak) back in 2016 and Josh Gessner was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Australia.  Gowdy has appeared on a few Bowman and minor league team set cards, and Gessner doesn't have any baseball card appearances yet.

2021 Topps #274

2019 Choice Williamsport Crosscutters #3

Trade #3 - The Reunion

Phillies acquired Freddy Galvis (ss) and cash from the Baltimore Orioles for Tyler Burch (rhp)

The popular Freddy Galvis returns to his original team, where he was the everyday shortstop for three seasons between 2015 and 2017.  Galvis is expected to provide a defensive upgrade to the team's poorly fielding infield.  He's in the 2021 Topps flagships set as well as this year's Topps Heritage set, with the Reds.  I currently have 49 Galvis cards in my Phillies collection and I'm looking forward to adding a few more.  Tyler Burch is a 23-year-old reliever who has played in the Phillies system since 2019.  I have one card of his in my collection from the 2019 Williamsport Crosscutters team set.