The Philadelphia Phillies have finally had a long-term contract pan out.
The Philadelphia Phillies have not had a whole lot of luck with long-term contracts in recent years. Sure, Bryce Harper's deal ended up being a good one, but the likes of Aaron Nola, Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto? The Phillies would probably like to have those back.
And let's be real here: Dave Dombrowski made it clear last offseason that he probably isn't too thrilled Harper is under wraps through 2031.
But just before the start of the 2026 MLB campaign, Philadelphia finally inked a long-term deal that looks like a steal: it signed Cristopher Sanchez to a six-year, $104 million extension, a pact that runs through 2033 and buys out Sanchez's arbitration years.
Sanchez is making $3.5 million this season. That number jumps to $7 million in 2027 and increases in progressive increments after that. It hits $10 million in 2028, $15 million in 2029 and $16 million in 2030 before finally jumping to $28 million in 2031.
So essentially, the Phillies have one of the best pitchers in all of baseball on an absolute bargain for the next four-plus years.
What a shrewd, fantastic move by Dombrowski and the front office.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez. Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images.Sanchez has gone 16-4 with a 2.51 ERA this season. His 1.219 WHIP is slightly high, but he has made up for it with a 10.4 K/9 and an elite 82.2 LOB%. What's more, the wiry left-hander boasts a ridiculous 57.6 percent ground-ball rate.
And here's the craziest part of all: he is achieving all of this in spite of a .340 BABIP.
Would it be nice if Sanchez allowed less baserunners? Sure, but he has generally always allowed a decent amount of traffic (lifetime 8.4 H/9), and he has always managed to pitch out of those jams. He lays claim to a career 3.07 ERA for a reason.
Sanchez doesn't have overpowering stuff. His fastball velocity ranks in the 60th percentile. He also only throws three pitches ... and none of them is a four-seamer. It's wild stuff, but it works for him.
The only thing working against Sanchez is age, as he is already 29 years old. That isn't old by any stretch, but there is no doubt that he has been a bit of a late bloomer, throwing over 100 innings for the first time in 2024.
But thus far, the Dominican native has avoided any serious injuries, and he is clearly trending in a positive direction.
The Phillies got one heck of a bargain here, and to be quite frank, Sanchez probably should have asked for more money.
