Phillies Transformation 2005 to 2008 Part 1

I recently purchased the 2005 Topps Total Phillies set. This got me wondering about how the just-missed-the-playoffs 2005 Phillies became the 2008 World Champion Phillies.

The 2005 Phillies were 88-74 and just missed getting the NL wild-card spot by one game to the Astros. That last week of the season was nail biting time for me as my two favorite teams vied for a playoff spot. The Astros went on to lose the 2005 World Series to the White Sox and its pretty much been downhill for them ever since. The Phillies just missed the playoffs again in 2006, was first in the NL east in 2007 and 2008, with 2008 being the World Series year. Who were those 2005 Phillies and how did they become the 2008 Phillies?

Bob Abreu (2005 Classic Clippings #64)

Abreu had a pretty decent year in 2005 (24 HR, .286 average). He'd been with the Phillies since 1998. In 2006 the Phillies traded Abreu with Cory Lidle to the Yankees for three minor leaguers and pitcher Matt Smith. Smith appeared in 15 games for the Phillies in 2006 and 2007 before being released. So Abreu didn't contribute anything to the 2008 Phillies

Terry Adams (2005 Topps Total #578)
Adams didn't have much of an impact on the 2005 Phillies (0-2 in 13.3 innings) and was release in May. Although if those two loses were wins, the Phillies would have been in the playoffs in 2005.

David Bell (Topps Heritage #366)
Bell was the Phillies starting third baseman in 2005 and he wasn't reminding anyone of Mike Schmidt. He was traded to the Brewers in 2006 for Wilfride Laureano (who?). No impact on the 2008 Phillies.

Eude Brito (2006 Topps '52 Autograph)
Brito was a spot starter for the Phillies in 2005 and 2006. In seven starts he was 2-4. No impact on the 2008 Phillies.

Pat Burrell (2005 Leaf Century Post Marks Silver #99)
Burrell was in his 6th year with the Phillies in 2005 and had a pretty good year. He hit 32 home runs and batted .281. He also had 117 RBIs. He hit 33 HRs in 2008 and was a big part of the 2008 team.

Marlon Byrd (Fleer Tradition Gray Backs #143)
Byrd was a 10th round pick by the Phillies in 1999. 2005 was his 4th year in the bigs but he was traded 5 games into the season to the Nationals for Endy Chavez, who was a free agent at the end of the 2005 season. No impact on the 2008 Phillies.

Endy Chavez (Topps Update #78)
And speaking of Endy Chavez, he hit .215 for the Phillies in 91 games in 2005. No impact on the 2008 Phillies.

Rheal Cormier (2001 Topps Traded)
Cormier spent 6 years with the Phillies (2001-2006) as a reliever who was involved in a lot of decisions (he was 28-24 over this period). I have only a handful of cards of his cards. In 2006 he was traded to the Reds for Justin Germano (who?). Germano never threw a pitch for the Phillies. So Cormier had no impact on the 2008 Phillies.

Gavin Floyd (Topps Gold #582)
Floyd was a Phillies first round draft pick in 2001 but never really got going with the Phillies. He was traded to the White Sox after the 2006 season for Freddy Garcia, who had a 17-9 record in 2006. He was pretty disappointing with the Phillies in 2007, winning only 1 game in 11 starts. Garcia went free agent after 2007. Meanwhile, Floyd was 17-8 for the 2008 White Sox. So no impact on the 2008 Phillies.

Of the first 10 players, only one player (Pat Burrell) from the 2005 club was still with the team in 2008.