Philadelphia Phillies at Miami Marlins: Fish on the Menu as May Begins

2006 Topps Updates & Highlights #UH20

2006 Topps #397

Friday, May 1st - 7:10
Saturday, May 2nd - 4:10
Sunday, May 3rd - 1:40
Monday, May 4th - 6:40

loanDepot park - Miami, FL
On Sunday, the first 10,000 fans will receive a Marlins' Captain's Hat, and there's a live pregame performance scheduled from a "Yacht Rock Band."  On Sunday, the first "5,000 moms" will receive a Marlins' clutch purse.

Philadelphia Phillies 12-19
4th Place in the N.L. East, 9 1/2 games behind the Braves

Phillies Probables
Zack Wheeler (0-0, 3.60)
Aaron Nola (1-3, 6.03)
Andrew Painter (1-2, 5.25)
Jesus Luzardo (2-3, 5.50)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Brandon Marsh - .303
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 21
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 11
RBIs:  Kyle Schwarber - 20
Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott - 5

Wins:  Three tied with - 2
ERA:  Cristopher Sanchez - 2.90

Strikeouts:  Cristopher Sanchez - 50
Saves:  Jhoan Duran - 5

Miami Marlins 15-16
2nd Place in the N.L. East, 6 1/2 games behind the Braves

Marlins Probables
Eury Perez (2-2, 4.60)
Max Meyer (1-0, 3.30)
Chris Paddack (0-4, 6.11)
Janson Junk (2-2, 3.00)

Marlins Leaders
Average:  Xavier Edwards - .336
Runs:  Xavier Edwards - 22
Home Runs:  Liam Hicks - 7
RBIs:  Liam Hicks - 28
Stolen Bases:  Jakob Mars - 10

Wins:  Sandy Alcantara - 3.04
ERA:  Janson Junk - 3.00

Strikeouts:  Max Meyer - 33
Saves:  Pete Fairbanks - 5

2026 Virtual Phillies Wall (Coming Soon) / 2026 Season Summary Index / 2026 Chachi Set Checklist

Philadelphia Phillies at Miami Marlins - Phils Look to Spear Fish

2025 Chachi 2005 Topps Missing Links #9

2005 Topps Update #UH28

Monday, June 16th - 6:40
Tuesday, June 17th - 6:10
Wednesday, June 18th - 6:40
Thursday, June 19th - 6:40

loanDepot park - Miami, FL
There is not a single promotion, theme night or giveaway during this four-game series with the Marlins in Miami.

Philadelphia Phillies 42-29
2nd Place in the N.L. East, 2 1/2 games behind the Mets

Phillies Probables
Mick Abel (1-0, 2.35)
Jesus Luzardo (6-2, 4.23)
Ranger Suarez (5-1, 2.32)
Cristopher Sanchez (5-2, 3.05)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Trea Turner - .300
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 51
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 22
RBIs:  Kyle Schwarber - 52
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 19

Wins:  Zack Wheeler - 7
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 2.76
Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 110
Saves:  Jordan Romano - 8

Miami Marlins 28-41
5th Place in the N.L. East, 15 1/2 games behind the Mets

Marlins Probables
Sandy Alcantara (3-7, 7.14)
Cal Quantrill (3-7, 5.61)
Edward Cabrera (2-2, 4.10)
TBD

Marlins Leaders
Average:  Xavier Edwards - .279
Runs:  Kyle Sowers and Eric Wagaman - 27
Home Runs:  Agustin Ramirez and Kyle Sowers - 10
RBIs:  Kyle Sowers - 33
Stolen Bases:  Xavier Edwards - 11

Wins:  Five tied with - 3
ERA:  N/A

Strikeouts:  Max Meyer - 68
Saves:  Calvin Faucher - 7

2025 Virtual Phillies Wall / 2025 Season Summary Index / 2025 Chachi Set Checklist

Royals at Phillies: August 4th to August 6th

2014 Topps Heritage #209

2023 Chachi 1965 Topps Missing Links #13

Friday 7:05, Saturday 6:05, Sunday 1:35
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

At the Ballpark:  Tonight, all fans will receive a sustainable Phillies hat.  Saturday marks the return of Photo Night, not held since 2019, and fans will have pre-game on-field access to take photos in the general vicinity of players, coaches and broadcasters strolling the field.  On Sunday, all kids 14 and under will receive a Kyle Schwarber replica jersey.

Royals 35-75
5th Place in the A.L. Central, 21 games behind the Twins

Royals Probables
Jordan Lyles (2-12, 6.15)
Alec Marsh (0-5, 6.75)
Zack Greinke (1-11, 5.32)

Royals Leaders
Average:  Bobby Witt - .269
Runs:  Bobby Witt - 58
Home Runs:  Bobby Witt - 19
RBIs:  Bobby Witt - 64
Stolen Bases:  Bobby Witt - 31

Wins:  Brady Singer - 7
ERA:  Brady Singer - 5.10
Strikeouts:  Brady Singer - 104
Saves:  Scott Barlow - 13

Phillies 59-50
2nd Place in the N.L. East, 11 1/2 games behind the Braves

Phillies Probables
Aaron Nola (9-7, 4.43)
Cristopher Sanchez (0-3, 2.66)
Taijuan Walker (12-4, 3.99)

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Bryson Stott - .301
Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 62
Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber - 27
RBIs:  Alec Bohm - 69
Stolen Bases:  Trea Turner - 21

Wins:  Taijuan Walker - 12
ERA:  Zack Wheeler - 3.71

Strikeouts:  Zack Wheeler - 149
Saves:  Craig Kimbrel - 18

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

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 134 - 2019 Topps Total #154 Jason Vargas

Mets 6, Phillies 3
Game 134 - Saturday Afternoon, August 31st in Philadelphia
Record - 69-65, 3rd place, 12 1/2 games behind the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  A relentless Mets offense couldn't be contained by Jason Vargas and the Phillies offense went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position in this 6-3 loss.

What It Means:  Any hope of the Phillies playing in the postseason is slipping away.  The team is now 3 1/2 games behind the Cubs for the second Wild Card, tied with the Diamondbacks.  The Mets and Brewers are right behind the Phillies at four games back.

The Phillies' record a year ago entering September 1st was 72-62 and they were only two games behind the Braves for the division lead.  The 2019 season was supposed to be better and should have been better if not for injuries along with questionable decisions by management - both the GM and the current Phillies manager.  I don't see how they enter the 2020 season with the same leadership team in place.

What Happened:  Vargas seemed to be in trouble in each of his four innings.  He departed having allowed five runs on nine hits.  Wilson Ramos collected four hits for the Mets while Todd Frazier added three.  Bryce Harper had a pair of RBIs including a solo home run (29) in the sixth.

Featured Card:  Vargas hasn't appeared on any Phillies cards yet, but my fear is he's a part of the Phillies rotation in 2020 and he'll then have at least a few appearances.

2019 Chachi #58 Jason Vargas

#44
Jason Matthew Vargas
Starting Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  215
Opening Day Age:  36
Born:  February 2, 1983, Apple Valley, CA
Drafted:  Selected by the Florida Marlins in the 2nd round of the June 2004 draft
Teams:  Florida Marlins 2005-2006; New York Mets 2007; Seattle Mariners 2009-2012; Los Angeles Angels 2013; Kansas City Royals 2014-2017; New York Mets 2018-2019; Phillies 2019
Acquired:  Acquired from the New York Mets for Austin Bossart, July 29, 2019
Contract Status:  Signed through 2019 with 2020 team option

2005 Topps Update #UH28

First Topps Flagship Base Card:  2005 Topps Update #UH28
First Phillies Card:  N/A
First Phillies Team Issued Card:  N/A
First Topps Phillies Flagship Base Card:  N/A
Newest Card Added:  2019 Topps Mets #NM-13

1 - Vargas baseball card in my collection per The Phillies Room Checklist as of 8/3/19.

Complete Chachi Checklist
2019 Chachi #58

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.