Bamboo Brad Returns; Flurry of Ex-Phils Sign Elsewhere

2021 Chachi New Additions #10

2021 Chachi Departures #3

2021 Chachi Departures #4

2021 Chachi Departures #5

2021 Chachi Departures #6

On Wednesday, the official first day of spring training, the Phillies announced the return of popular super utility player Brad Miller, who had spent last season with the Cardinals.  Miller's introduction of a lucky bamboo plant to the Phillies clubhouse during the summer of 2019 sparked a mini winning streak, and led to an increase in bamboo sales across the local area.  To make room for Miller on the 40-man roster, reliever Seranthony Dominguez was placed on the 60-day IL as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

At this point, most of the ex-Phillies that made up the rogue's gallery of the 2020 team have found new homes, with the exceptions of relievers Jose Alvarez and David Robertson.  The day will come when we no longer have to reflect back on the pain caused by the team's 2020 bullpen.  Of the players listed below, I'm saddest to see the departure of Phil Gosselin and I hope The Phillies Room Favorite finds himself a steady job on the Angels' roster.

Departures - 2020-2021 Offseason

• Deolis Guerra - rhp (10/14/20) - Elected free agency, signed a minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics (2/2/21).
• Trevor Kelley - rhp (10/14/20) - Elected free agency, signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs (12/14/20).
• Jose Alvarez - lhp (10/28/20) - Elected free agency.
• Jake Arrieta - rhp (10/28/20) - Elected free agency, signed with the Chicago Cubs (2/17/21).
• Jay Bruce - of (10/28/20) - Elected free agency, signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees (2/12/21).
• Tommy Hunter - rhp (10/28/20) - Elected free agency, signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets (2/14/21).
• Brandon Workman - rhp (10/28/20) - Elected free agency.
• Phil Gosselin - inf (10/30/20) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency, signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels (2/11/21).
• Heath Hembree - rhp (10/30/20) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency, singed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians (2/5/21).
• Adam Morgan - lhp (10/30/20) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency, signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs (2/12/21).
• Blake Parker - rhp (10/30/20) - Outrighted off 40-man roster, elected free agency, signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians (2/16/21).
• David Phelps - rhp (10/30/20) - Club option declined, elected free agency, signed with the Toronto Blue Jays (2/11/21).
• David Robertson - rhp (10/30/20) - Club option declined, elected free agency.
• Reggie McClain - rhp (12/10/20) - Selected by the Yankees in the minor league portion of the annual rule 5 draft.
• Garrett Cleavinger - lhp (12/29/20) - Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers with the Phillies receiving Jose Alvarado in exchange from the Tampa Bay Rays.
• Kyle Garlick - of (1/22/21) - Claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves.
• Victor Arano - rhp (1/22/21) - Claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves.
• Cole Irvin - lhp (1/30/21) - Traded to the Oakland Athletics for cash considerations.

2021 Chachi Departures #7

2021 Chachi Departures #8

2021 Chachi Departures #9

2021 Chachi Departures #10

2021 Chachi Departures #11

Coming Back - 2020-2021 Offseason

• Ronald Torreyes - inf (10/15/20) - Elected free agency, re-signed with the Phillies as a minor league free agent (1/4/21).
• J.T. Realmuto - c (10/28/20) - Elected free agency, re-signed with the Phillies (1/29/21).
• Didi Gregorius - ss (10/28/20) - Elected free agency, re-signed with the Phillies (2/10/21).

New Additions - 2020-2021 Offseason

• Johan Quezada - rhp (10/30/20) - Claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins.
• Ian Hamilton - rhp (12/7/20) Claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.
• Kyle Holder - inf (12/10/20) - Selected from the Yankees in the annual rule 5 draft.
• Jose Alvarado - lhp (12/29/20) - Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays with the Dodgers receiving Garrett Cleavinger in exchange.
• Sam Coonrod - rhp (1/9/21) - Acquired from the San Francisco Giants for Carson Ragsdale.
• Archie Bradley - rhp (1/18/21) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Cincinnati Reds.
• C.J. Chatham - inf (1/18/21) - Acquired from the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named later.
• Matt Moore -lhp (2/3/21) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.
• Chase Anderson - rhp (2/8/21) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Toronto Blue Jays.
• Brad Miller - inf (2/17/21) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Already Gone - 2020-2021 Offseason

• Kyle Holder - inf (1/30/21) - Traded to the Cincinnati Reds for cash considerations.
• Ian Hamilton - rhp (2/5/21) - Claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins.
• Johan Quezada - rhp (2/10/21) - Traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for cash considerations.

Game 42 - 2020 Topps #286 Blake Parker

Marlins 5, Phillies 3 (Game 2 - 7 Innings)
Game 42 - Friday Night, September 11th in Miami
Record - 22-20, 2nd Place, 2 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Marlins bullpen bettered the Phillies bullpen in a battle that no one really wanted to see.

What It Means:  A freak injury to Zack Wheeler caused the Phillies to adjust their starting pitching schedule, and this became a bullpen game.  Wheeler tore off a finger nail while putting on a pair of jeans recently, and that's how the Phillies' 2020 season is going so far.

What Happened:  It was going smoothly for the Phillies, with emergency starter Blake Parker throwing two scoreless innings.  Heath Hembree allowed a Lewis Brinson home run in the third, and then Ranger Suarez gave up three more runs in the fourth.  J.T. Realmuto seems to have snapped out of his slump as he went 3 for 4 in this game.  Andrew McCutchen and Alec Bohm both also had two-hit games.

Bryce Harper's struggles continued, and he hasn't hit a home run since August 22nd.  In the stretch since then, over 18 games, he's hitting .136 (8 for 59) with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs.

Featured Card:  Parker was an interesting addition to the Topps Series One checklist, but I'm glad he made the set.  One of the Phillies top relievers this season, this is Parker's only Phillies baseball card to date.

2020 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2020 Season Summary Index / 2020 Chachi Set Checklist

2020 Chachi #38 Blake Parker

#53
Richard Blake Parker
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  225
Opening Day Age:  35
Born:  June 19, 1985, Fayetteville, AR
How Obtained:  Signed by the Phillies as a minor league free agent, February 5, 2020
Contract Status:  Signed through 2020
Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 2012-2014; Seattle Mariners 2016; New York Yankees 2016; Los Angeles Angels 2017-2018; Minnesota Twins 2019; Philadelphia Phillies 2019-

First Phillies Card:  2020 Topps #286
First Phillies Minor League Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A

Newest Card Added:  2020 Topps #286

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  2013-2014, 2019-2020

4 - Parker baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/12/20.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #57
2019 Chachi Photo Cards #54 (UER)
2020 Chachi #38

Blake Parker came to the Phillies in July of last season as part of the wave of relievers the team picked up in the second half to try to bolster the beleaguered bullpen.  He came back to the club on a minor league deal signed in February.

He surprisingly appeared in the 2020 Topps Series One checklist, despite having pitched only 23 games for the Phillies last season.

I botched his custom photo card, assigning Parker #54 on the card, a number he's never worn for the Phillies or any other team.

2020 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2020 Season Summary Index / 2020 Chachi Set Checklist

2019 and 2020 Chachi Photo Cards - Signed!

In February, before the coronavirus shut everything down, fellow collector Rick made his annual trip to Clearwater with copies of Chachi photo cards in hand.  He was able to get a number of the photos signed and he was gracious enough to get duplicate cards signed for me as well.

The cards for Jay Bruce, Austin Davis, JD Hammer and Cole Irvin are from last year's photo card set, while the Deivy Grullon and Blake Parker cards are from this year's set.  The Parker card is officially an uncorrected error card, as he's currently and has always been #53 with the Phillies.  He even included his correct uniform number within his signature.

Thanks again to Rick for sending these along, as they brightened up what had been an otherwise glum day.  I hope we're all back to trying to obtain player autographs relatively soon.

And I hope you and your families are staying safe and healthy, helping where you can and focusing on staying positive.

Non-Roster Invitee List Climbs to 29

2019 Topps Heritage #635

2019 Topps Total #387

2020 Chachi New Additions #6

2019 Topps Heritage #132

In the apparently never-ending process of adding players to try-out in Clearwater beginning next week, four more non-roster invitees were added to the mix on Tuesday.

Trevor Kelley lost his 40-man roster spot to Reggie McClain last week, but he'll still come to camp as a non-roster invitee.  Blake Parker is also back, after appearing in 23 games for the Phillies late last season and pitching to a 5.04 ERA.

Righty pitcher Anthony Swarzak was added too.  Swarzak is a veteran of 10 big league seasons, and he appeared in 44 games last season for the Braves and 15 with the Mariners, pitching to a decent 4.31 ERA with the Braves.  Finally, infielder Logan Forsythe will get a chance to earn a bench spot.  Forsythe is a 9-year veteran who appeared in 101 games last season for the Rangers.  He's a career .246 hitter and he hit a career-high 20 home runs with the Rays in 2016.

Player (position) - 2019 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card Appearance

1.  Phil Gosselin (inf) - Phillies - 2017 Topps Heritage #135 (Diamondbacks)

2.  Josh Harrison (inf) - Tigers - 2019 Topps Heritage #552 (Tigers)

3.  Mikie Mahtook (of) - Tigers - 2019 Topps #477 (Tigers)

4.  Matt Szczur (of) - Diamondbacks - 2018 Topps Heritage #528 (Padres)
5.  Christian Bethancourt (c) - NC Dinos (Korea) - 2017 Topps #697 (Padres)
6.  Ronald Torreyes (inf) - Twins - 2019 Topps #537 (Twins)
7.  Francisco Liriano (lhp) - Pirates - 2019 Topps Update #US61 (Pirates)
8.  Bud Norris (rhp) - Blue Jays - 2018 Topps #686 (Cardinals)
9.  Drew Storen (rhp) - Royals - 2017 Topps Heritage #573 (Reds)
10.  Neil Walker (inf) - Marlins - 2019 Topps Update #US132 (Marlins)
11.  Logan Forsythe (inf) - Rangers - 2019 Topps Heritage #635 (Rangers)
12.  Blake Parker (rhp) - Twins/Phillies - 2020 Topps #286 (Phillies)
13.  Anthony Swarzak (rhp) - Mariners/Braves - 2019 Topps Total #387 (Braves)
14.  Trevor Kelley (rhp) - Red Sox - N/A

Player (position) - 2019 Organization - Last Card Added to Collection

15.  Alec Bohm (inf) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #1

16.  Connor Brogdon (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #44

17.  Kyle Dohy (lhp) - Phillies - 2019 R-Phils Phillies Top 25 Prospects #5

18.  Tyler Gilbert (lhp) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Lehigh Valley IronPigs #10
19.  Darick Hall (1b) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #7
20.  Spencer Howard (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Topps Heritage Minor League #27
21.  Damon Jones (lhp) - Phillies - 2018 Choice Lakewood BlueClaws #13
22.  Henri Lartigue (c) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #12
23.  Austin Listi (1b-of) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #13
24.  Nick Maton (ss) - Phillies - 2019 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #6
25.  Mickey Moniak (of) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #15
26.  Ramon Rosso (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #19
27.  Addison Russ (rhp) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #20
28.  Zach Warren (lhp) - Phillies - 2019 Grandstand Clearwater Threshers #33
29.  Luke Williams (inf-of) - Phillies - 2019 Choice Reading Fightin Phils #23

Latest Round of Roster Moves - 8 More Free Agents

2020 Chachi Departures #12

2020 Chachi Departures #13

2020 Chachi Departures #14

In a flurry of roster moves on late Monday afternoon, the Phillies parted with eight more players and they now have 35 spots taken on their 40-man roster.

The club declined their options on pitchers Jared Hughes, Pat Neshek and Jason Vargas.  Starting pitcher Jake Arrieta, as expected, exercised his player option for 2020 and he'll attempt to bounce back from two lackluster seasons.

2020 Chachi Departures #15

2020 Chachi #13

2020 Chachi Departures #16

2020 Chachi #38

2020 Chachi Departures #17

Pitchers Jerad Eickhoff, Mike Morin, Blake Parker and Edubray Ramos along with infiedler Phil Gosselin were all outrighted off the 40-man roster and all five elected free agency.  The Morin and Parker moves surprised me a little, as I could see both playing a role in the team's 2020 bullpen.  I assume one or both could come back on minor league deals.  It's also tough to see Phillies Room favorite Gosselin let go.

Finally, pitchers Victor Arano, Arrieta, Seranthony Dominguez, Adam Morgan, David Robertson and Robert Stock along with outfielder Andrew McCutchen were activated from the 60-day IL.

This is a good time to link over to my Virtual Phillies Wall, which has been updated to reflect the current status of the team's 40-man roster.  As players are added, such as Stock, they'll appear on a 2020 Chachi New Additions insert card.  The next date to circle on our calendars is December 2nd, when the Phillies will need to make a decision on tendering contracts to Cesar Hernandez and Maikel Franco in advance of the annual Rule 5 draft.

Moving On - 2019-2020 Offseason

• Rob Brantly - c (9/30/19) - Elected free agency.
• Fernando Salas - rhp (9/30/19) - Elected free agency.
• Corey Dickerson - of (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Tommy Hunter - rhp (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Brad Miller - inf (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Logan Morrison - 1b (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Juan Nicasio - rhp (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Sean Rodriguez - inf-of (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Drew Smyly - lhp (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Nick Vincent - rhp (10/31/19) - Elected free agency.
• Jose Pirela - of (11/1/19) - Released.
• Jared Hughes - rhp (11/4/19) - Club option declined, elected free agency.
• Pat Neshek - rhp (11/4/19) - Club option declined, elected free agency.
• Jason Vargas - lhp (11/4/19) - Club option declined, elected free agency.
• Jerad Eickhoff - rhp (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency.
• Phil Gosselin - inf (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency.
• Mike Morin - rhp (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency.
• Blake Parker - rhp (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency.
• Edubray Ramos - rhp - (11/4/19) - Outrighted, elected free agency.

New Arrivals - 2019-2020 Offseason

• Robert Stock - rhp (10/30/19) - Claimed off waivers from the San Diego Padres.

Game 156 - 2019 Topps Total #74 Blake Parker

Nationals 4, Phillies 1 (Game 1)
Game 156 - Tuesday Afternoon, September 24th in Washington
Record - 79-77, 4th place, 16 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Facing elimination, manager Gabe Kapler opted to go with a bullpen game, and while the bullpen pitched respectively well, the Phillies still lost, 4-1.

What It Means:  This is the loss that officially knocked the Phillies out of the postseason hunt for the eighth season in a row.  We had no idea how good we had it between 2007 and 2011.

What Happened:  The Phillies scored a first inning run when Jean Segura singled home Cesar Hernandez, but then the offense shut it down for the rest of the game.  Nick Vincent took the loss, giving up a pair of runs in the sixth.

Featured Card:  Blake Parker got the start and pitched two perfect innings, striking out two.  Parker, who started the season as the closer for the Twins, has yet to appear on a Phillies baseball card and he may be one of the many Phillies players this season to be the subject of Missing Links custom cards.

Transactions:  Juan Nicasio was activated from the injured list, giving the Phillies 35 players on their active roster.

2019 Chachi #57 Blake Parker

#53
Richard Blake Parker
Relief Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  225
Opening Day Age:  33
Born:  June 19, 1985, Fayetteville, AR
Drafted:  Selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 16th round of the June 2006 draft
Teams:  Chicago Cubs 2012-2014; Seattle Mariners 2016; New York Yankees 2016; Los Angeles Angels 2017-2018; Minnesota Twins 2019; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent formerly with the Minnesota Twins, July 30, 2019
Contract Status:  Arbitration eligible in 2020, free agency eligible in 2021

2013 Topps Update #US172

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2013 Topps Update #US172
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Phillies Minor League Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  2019 Topps Heritage #132

2 - Parker baseball cards in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/2/19.

The two cards I have of Parker in my collection are from the 2019 Topps and 2019 Topps Heritage sets.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #57

2019 Chachi Set Checklist
Virtual Phillies Wall - Featuring Current Active Roster

Game 106 - Smyly Shines; Phils Acquire Vargas and Parker

2018 Topps Heritage #455

Phillies 4, Giants 2
Game 106 - Tuesday Night, July 30th in Philadelphia
Record - 56-50, 3rd place, 6 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  Drew Smyly pitched seven shutout innings as the Phillies took the series opener against the Giants, 4-2.

What It Means:  I'm not going to get carried away here, but the last Phillies left-handed pitcher before Smyly to pitch at least seven innings and not allow a run was Cole Hamels in his no-hitter on July 25, 2015.  (Per Jayson Stark Tweet.)

What Happened:  Smyly allowed four hits while striking out five.  Nick Pivetta entered in the eighth in his new set-up role and promptly allowed two home runs.  Hector Neris pitched a scoreless ninth to record his 19th save.  The big hits came from Adam Haseley (RBI double in the fourth) and Rhys Hoskins (two-run home run in the fifth).

Featured Card:  Smyly's best bet for a Phillies card this season is in the Topps Update set or if the Phillies issue an updated photo card set.  For now, here's his card from the 2018 Topps Heritage set, showing him with the Cubs.  Smyly never actually threw a pitch for the Cubs as he missed the entire 2018 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

2019 Topps #418

2019 Grandstand Reading Fightin Phils #18

2019 Topps Heritage #132

Transactions:  On Monday afternoon, the Phillies acquired left-handed starting pitcher Jason Vargas from the Mets for Double-A catcher Austin Bossart.  Vargas is a 14-year veteran and a one-time All-Star with the Royals in 2017.  With the Mets this year, he was 6-5 in 18 starts with a 4.01 ERA, and even though the move isn't that major, it immediately provides an upgrade to the Phillies' starting rotation.  Yacksel Rios was designated for assignment to make room for Vargas on the 40-man roster.

Vargas' latest baseball cards can be found in Topps Series 2 and the Topps Total online set.  Bossart has been in the Phillies' system for five years, appearing in a number of minor league team sets.  He was one of the Reading players who signed for Doug during our trip to Harrisburg back in late May.

On Tuesday afternoon, reliever Blake Parker was also added to the mix.  Parker is a seven year veteran and he started the season as the closer for the Twins.  In 37 games this season, he was 1-2 with a 4.21 ERA and 10 saves with 34 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings.  He elected free agency after declining a minor league assignment and the Phillies quickly nabbed him.  Edgar Garcia was optioned back to Lehigh Valley and Mitch Walding was designated for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot for Parker.

From a baseball card perspective, Parker returned to mainstream cardboard in 2019 after a five year absence.  Before his cards in the 2019 Topps flagship and Heritage sets, his last major appearance came in the 2014 Topps set.

Arrived During the 2019 Season

• Jay Bruce - of (6/2/19) - Acquired from the Seattle Mariners with cash considerations for Jake Scheiner.
• Brad Miller - inf (6/13/19) - Purchased from the New York Yankees.
• Fernando Salas - rhp (6/13/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League.
• Mike Morin - rhp (7/20/19) - Acquired from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations.
• Drew Smyly - lhp (7/21/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
• Jason Vargas - lhp (7/29/19) - Acquired with cash from the New York Mets for Austin Bossart.
• Blake Parker - rhp (7/30/19) - Signed as a free agent formerly with the Minnesota Twins.

Departed During the 2019 Season

• Aaron Altherr - of (5/12/19) - Selected off waivers by the San Francisco Giants.