According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Philadelphia Phillies will sign left-hander Cristopher Sánchez to a four-year contract extension worth four years and multiple club options. The extension will see the Phillies buy out Sánchez’s arbitration years plus potentially multiple free-agent years.
Sánchez was set to make around $800,000 in 2025 and enter the first of three years of arbitration. The extension guarantees Sánchez life-changing money now while providing the Phillies with valuable cost certainty. If Sánchez continues to develop and ascend, the extension might represent an absolute steal.
Breaking: Cristopher Sanchez and the Phillies are finalizing a 4 year extension (plus options) to buy out his arbitration years and give Phils additional control. Sanchez, 27, wouldn’t have been eligible for arbitration until 2026; was in AAA last year. He’s 4-3 with 2.91 ERA.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 22, 2024
Phillies, Cristopher Sánchez Agree To 4-Year Contract Extension
After making his debut in 2021, Sánchez spent the first couple of years of his career splitting time between the bullpen, injured list, and minor leagues. However, the Phillies started using him consistently as a starter in 2022, and Sánchez quickly proved he belonged.
Last year, Sánchez tossed 99 1/3 innings across 19 games (18 starts) and produced a 3.44 ERA (126 ERA+) with good strikeout and walk rates. Philadelphia believed in his potential and kept him in the rotation in 2024.
At 27, Sánchez rewards the team’s faith in him with a breakout campaign. In 14 starts, the southpaw has pitched 77 1/3 innings with a 2.91 ERA (139 ERA+). Though Sánchez features a low strikeout percentage this season, he is excelling at inducing ground balls, limiting Barrels, and getting hitters to chase out of the strike zone.
Zack Wheeler: 73.2 IP, 2.32 ERA
Ranger Suarez: 72.0 IP, 1.71 ERA
Aaron Nola: 71.0 IP, 3.04 ERA
Cristopher Sanchez: 60.1 IP, 2.83 ERA
Baseball’s best 1-2-3-4.pic.twitter.com/rMgb6t3nUl
— Joe Giglio (@JoeGiglioSports) May 29, 2024
Sánchez will surely amass a career-high workload this season. However, the Phillies rotation is led by two elite, high-priced workhorses and a different breakout lefty. This positions Philadelphia well to limit his innings down the stretch. Additionally, while the team views Sánchez as a starter long-term, the Phillies could deploy him as a multi-inning reliever during the playoffs.
A Dave Dombrowski-led organization will always act with aggression and urgency in its quest to win a championship. So, it shouldn’t shock many that Sánchez represents the third starter that the Phillies will extend/sign to a long-term deal since mid-November.
Main Photo Credits: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
