Cristopher Sanchez Signs Phillies Contract Reportedly with $107M Guaranteed, Updated Payroll for PHI
Cristopher Sánchez has never pitched for a Major League Baseball team outside of the Philadelphia Phillies, and it looks like that won't change for the foreseeable future.
The Phillies announced Sunday they came to terms on a new six-year deal with the pitcher that starts in 2027 and runs through the 2032 campaign. It also features a club option for the 2033 season.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported Philadelphia "ripped up" Sánchez's previous $22.5 million contract extension he agreed to in June 2024 that ran through 2028 with team options for 2029 and 2030 and instead rewarded him with this latest deal that guarantees him $107 million.
The guaranteed money includes the $3 million he was in line to make in 2026 for a Phillies team that has the fourth-highest tax payroll in the league for 2026 at $310.4 million, per Spotrac.
Philadelphia is coming off two straight National League East titles and four straight playoff appearances and has made a priority of locking up its pitching staff in an effort to build on that momentum for the coming years.
ESPN noted the front office finalized a five-year, $135 million contract with Jesús Luzardo this offseason to go with Zack Wheeler's deal that runs through 2027 and Aaron Nola's contract that goes through 2030. Throw in rookie Andrew Painter under team control through 2031, and much of the future rotation seems to be in place.
Sánchez is the latest to sign an extension after he outperformed his previous deal.
The 29-year-old was an All-Star in 2024 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 153 strikeouts in 181.2 innings and followed that up with another excellent season in 2025 with a 2.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 212 strikeouts in 202 innings.
His 8.0 wins above replacement for pitchers was the best in the league, per Baseball Reference, and he finished second in National League Cy Young voting behind Pittsburgh Pirates star Paul Skenes.
Sánchez was also excellent in two postseason starts in 2025 with a 2.25 ERA and surely hopes to have even more playoff opportunities in 2026.
It is a 2026 season he will start with the ball in his hands, as the Phillies announced he will pitch Thursday's Opening Day against the Texas Rangers.
"It's a privilege. It's an honor," he told reporters. "Obviously, it's something to look forward to, and it's one of the goals I've wanted to accomplish in my career. It's something I've always wanted to do, just to be an Opening Day starter."
Now he will be that Opening Day starter with a new contract as well.
