Wrapping Up Chachi Set Odds & Ends

2014 Chachi Transactions #17

2014 Chachi Transactions #19

2014 Chachi Transactions #20

2014 Chachi Transactions #22

I have a number of special Chachi insert cards that have been sitting in my draft folder for a few months as I've had no real good reason to post them.  I figured with the entire staff and management team of The Phillies Room away on spring break this week, this would be a good opportunity to feature all these cards together and wrap up a few loose ends.

First up is a quartet of players who joined the ranks of ex-Phillies this past offseason.  Zach Miner and Mauricio Robles were short-timers with the Phillies last season with Miner appearing in 16 games (three as a starter) and going 0-2 with a 4.40 ERA and Robles making it into just three games and pitching 4 2/3 innings.

Miner signed a minor league deal with the Mariners in the offseason, and unbeknownst to me Robles signed with the White Sox organization in November.  Had I known about the Robles signing, he would have been featured sooner in the Chachi Transaction insert set, but as it is he's most likely the last card in the set.

Joe Savery was the club's #1 pick back in 2007 and he first appeared with the Phillies in 2011.  In parts of three seasons, Savery went 3-2 in 41 games with a 4.15 ERA.  I first posted about Savery and his long and winding journey to the Majors in this post after he had made his Phillies debut.

Sadly, Phillies Room favorite Kevin Frandsen is now a member of the rival Nationals.  Presumably the odd man out this past spring, Frandsen landed himself a guaranteed contract with the Nationals, where he'll undoubtedly and repeatedly punish the Phillies throughout this season.

2014 Chachi Preview #3

2014 Chachi Almost #1

2014 Chachi #49

2014 Chachi Almost #3

Finally, here are four cards only a die-hard Phillies and virtual Phillies baseball card aficionado would enjoy.  (All seven or so of us.)  John McDonald probably doesn't need to have another virtual Phillies card, but I loved this photo of him in a throw-back uniform so I went ahead and gave him a card.  Michael Stutes was one of the team's best relievers in 2011, but injuries have hampered his career and he's currently out of baseball following his release a few weeks ago.

Kevin Munson was the team's offseason Rule V draft pick, and he made it part-way through the spring before being sent back to the Diamondbacks.  And veteran infielder Ronny Cedeno was attempting to latch on as bench player with the club, but (thankfully) the Phillies decided to stick with their younger guys and Cedeno was released.  He's since come back to the organization and is playing with the IronPigs.

UPDATE, 6/7/14 - In an unprecedented event, Cedeno will actually have a card in this year's regular Chachi base set.  Following Cedeno's departure at the end of spring training, he was quickly brought back into the fold by the organization and he had his contract selected from the IronPigs in early June.  I will update the official checklist to show this once "Almost" card as an actual "Chachi" card.

The first reader to comment on this lapse in The Phillies Room continuum will receive a coveted The Phillies Room No-Prize.

Munson Added in Rule 5 Draft

2014 Chachi Transactions #11

The annual Winter Meetings wrapped up yesterday morning with the annual Rule 5 draft.  Players with enough service time not on a team's 40-man roster are eligible for the draft.  Once selected, the player has to remain on the active roster of the team that drafted him for the entire season, or be offered back to his original team.

More years than not, the Phillies use their pick to gamble on a player in the hopes that he'll work out and contribute to the team long-term.  The most successful Rule 5 picks in the past for the Phillies were easily Dave Hollins in 1989 and Shane Victorino in 2004.

This year, the Phillies selected right-handed pitcher Kevin Munson from the Arizona Diamondbacks.  If they don't keep Munson on the active roster all season, the Diamondbacks will be given the chance to take him back.  Munson, who will be 25 in January, split 2013 between Double-A and Triple-A where he went 2-4 with a 4.12 ERA in 53 games.  He also successfully saved 14 games.  He's appeared in various Diamondbacks minor league team sets as well as the 2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition set.

2013 Topps Pro Debut #203

The Phillies also lost a player in the draft.  Right-handed pitcher Seth Rosin was selected by the Mets and then immediately traded to the Dodgers.  Back in July 2012, Rosin was the third guy acquired from the Giants in the Hunter Pence deal, with Nate Schierholtz (now with the Cubs) and Tommy Joseph (recently added to the Phillies 40-man roster.)  He appeared in both Reading Fightin Phils team sets this year, as well as the Topps Pro Debut set.

Here's the complete list of players gained and lost since 2000 by the Phillies:

Players Selected Since 2000

2004 - Shane Victorino - of (Los Angeles Dodgers) - Helped Phillies win World Series title in 2008.

2006 - Adam Donachie - c (Kansas City Royals) - Traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Alfredo Simon.

2006 - Jim Ed Warden - rhp (Cleveland Indians) - Returned on March 28, 2007.

2006 - Ryan Budde - c (Los Angeles Angels) - Returned on April 23, 2007.

2007 - Travis Blackley - lhp (San Francisco Giants) - Spent 2008 season in Phillies organization and granted free agency following the season.

2007 - Lincoln Holdzkom - rhp (Boston Red Sox) - Returned to the Red Sox.

2008 - Robert Mosebach - rhp (Los Angeles Angels) - Returned on April 1, 2009

2009 - David Herndon - rhp (Los Angeles Angels) - Spent entire 2010 season on active Phillies roster.

2010 - Michael Martinez - inf (Washington Nationals) - Spent entire 2011 season on active Phillies roster.

2012 - Ender Inciarte - of (Arizona Diamondbacks) - Made the 2013 Opening Day roster and then was designated for assignment following the first game of the season when the Phillies claimed Ezequiel Carrera off waivers.
2013 - Kevin Munson - rhp (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Players Lost Since 2000

2001 - Miguel Asencio - rhp (Kansas City Royals) - Spent entire 2002 season on active Royals roster.

2002 - Travis Chapman - inf (Cleveland Indians) - Traded to Tigers but eventually returned to the Phillies.

2009 - Carlos Monasterios - rhp (New York Mets) - Sold to the Los Angeles Dodgers on day of the draft.

2011 - Lendy Castillo - rhp (Chicago Cubs) - Spent entire 2012 season with the Cubs, although he missed significant time with a groin injury.

2013 - Seth Rosin - rhp (New York Mets) - Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.