While players often wait until the offseason to sign big contracts, sometimes there's no point in waiting for marriage when the relationship is going well. The Philadelphia Phillies found a gem in southpaw pitcher Cristopher Sanchez, and both sides decided to commit long-term.
The Phillies signed Sanchez to an extension Saturday, via the New York Post's Jon Heyman.
“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,” Heyman tweeted. “Sanchez, 27, wouldn’t have been eligible for arbitration until 2026; was in AAA last year. He’s 4-3 with 2.91 ERA.”
Sanchez showed flashes at the MLB level last year, going 3-5 with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP across 18 starts and 19 appearances. He also made his playoff debut, lasting 2.1 innings in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, the Dominican international has broken out this season, ranking 14th in the league in ERA thus far.
Will Sanchez's star continue to shine in the big leagues?
Sanchez could be a centerpiece of a championship Phillies rotation
Sanchez has not only surpassed expectations, he's destroyed them and raised the bar for himself. The veteran was expected to be the fifth starter this year, but he has far outperformed that level, via Philly Sports Network's Tommy Orme.
“With only one home run allowed, his 0.116 HR/9 ranks first in the MLB,” Orme pointed out. “In fact, Sánchez remains the only pitcher with 40+ innings pitched and one-homer or less allowed – only rivaled by Boston’s Tanner Houck 0.186 HR/9 through 96+ innings pitched.”
Keeping hitters in the park is a skill that can't be emphasized enough. It takes much longer to score runs without homers, and if he continues to not allow the long ball, his ERA should stay under 3.00. That would vault him into the upper echelon of major-league hurlers.
“This isn’t a small sample size, either,” Orme continued. “With 77 and 1/3 innings pitched, Sánchez ranks second among Phillies’ starters in runs allowed (31) behind just Ranger Suárez (21). When your splits start to rival Zack Wheeler, you’ve earned a payday.”
Sanchez has been an integral part of a rotation and staff that leads the MLB with a 3.15 ERA. With Philadelphia sitting atop the NL at 49-26, the key will be for it to continue its hot streak into the fall, when the lights get the brightest.
The Phillies will hold a press conference at 1:30 PM EST to discuss the extension, including further contract details.
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