CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Cristopher Sánchez is one of baseball’s best pitchers, and the Phillies believe he will be one of the best for years to come.
They will pay him like it, too.
The Phillies announced on Sunday morning that they have signed Sánchez to a new six-year contract that guarantees him $107 million through 2032, with a 2033 club option worth $32.5 million that can increase up to $44.5 million, according to a source. Essentially, the Phillies restructured a club-friendly, four-year $22.5 million contract extension, maintaining the salaries in the original deal through 2030, then added $30 million in salary in 2031 and 2032.
The Phillies could have kept the original deal, if they wanted.
They chose to reward Sánchez instead.
“When we looked into the future,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said, “we talked a lot about it over the wintertime and talked with [Phillies owner] John Middleton. … We kind of assumed years four and five [club options in the original deal] were no-brainers as far as we were going to pick those up. We couldn't even imagine a scenario in which we wouldn't, so now we start talking beyond that.
“We thought that somebody of Cristopher’s stature … that we'd rather get this done now, while we still have age and it makes sense for us.”
Sánchez last season finished second in NL Cy Young Award voting behind Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, going 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 32 starts. Sánchez posted an MLB-best 8.0 wins above replacement, according to Baseball Reference. Over the past three seasons, Sánchez’s combined 13.5 WAR is tied with Skenes for third-best in baseball behind Zack Wheeler (15.3) and Tarik Skubal (14.8).
Sánchez will be the Phillies’ Opening Day starter on Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.
“I’m absolutely so proud of being here, and it shows the commitment that this thing happened,” Sánchez said via an interpreter. “They rewarded my work and the way I’ve been doing the last few years of my work, and it’s just a great commitment. I appreciate the team doing this for me.”
It has been a remarkable journey for Sánchez, who signed with the Rays as an amateur free agent in 2013 as a 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic, then was traded to the Phillies for prospect Curtis Mead in November 2019 because Tampa Bay felt it didn’t have a spot for him on its 40-man roster.
Sánchez bounced around the next couple years, posting a 5.63 ERA in 15 appearances (three starts) with the Phillies in 2022.
He lost velocity at one point. He couldn’t throw strikes.
But Sánchez started to take off in 2023, posting a 3.44 ERA in 19 appearances (18 starts). He has been a force in the rotation since.
“It’s truly fantastic,” Sánchez said. “I couldn’t imagine this. All the discipline and the talent that I have, they have come out.”
Sánchez talked earlier this spring about working hard to maintain that level of greatness in the future. It’s why the Phillies feel comfortable keeping him in red pinstripes through his age-35 season.
“He is very talented,” Dombrowski said. “The other part of it is how hard he works. He works extremely hard. The inquisitive nature in contributing to try to get better, he improved his breaking ball. Also, [pitching coach Caleb Cotham] and the pitching staff members, the coaching staff members, in that regard, have helped him a great deal. Those are all things that contribute.
“But I think first and foremost is the hard work and effort and the ability he has. And then you also realize that, when he has the ability and signs a deal, there's no thought process that that's it. You know he wants to be the best, and he'll be driven to do that.”
This is the second multiyear contract extension the Phillies have awarded starting pitchers this spring. Earlier this month, they signed left-hander Jesús Luzardo to a five-year, $135 million contract, which also begins next season.
The Phillies have committed $540 million in multiyear contracts to four starting pitchers signed beyond this season: Wheeler (three years, $126 million), Aaron Nola (seven years, $172 million), Luzardo and Sánchez.
Taijuan Walker is in the final year of a four-year, $72 million deal. Philly's top pitching prospect Andrew Painter, who will make his MLB debut on March 31, is under team control through at least 2031. Those teammates attended Sánchez’s press conference on Sunday.
“The hard work and the discipline, everything that I have learned throughout the organization with people that have helped me out,” Sánchez said. “I continue to have all the support from my teammates, and I’m looking forward to go back to the World Series and hopefully winning it.”