PHILADELPHIA — Last June, the Phillies called up Cristopher Sánchez from triple A to be their No. 5 starter because, well, they tried just about everyone else.
Bailey Falter wasn’t the answer. Neither was Matt Strahm, signed as a multi-inning reliever. The Phillies plucked Dylan Covey off waivers, and he got bombed in Atlanta. They used openers and bulk relievers. Nothing worked.
So, along came Sánchez, and the bar couldn’t have been lower.
But there was the 27-year-old lefty Saturday, on the eve of his 31st start as a rotation regular, the recipient of a freshly minted four-year contract extension that begins next season, runs through 2028, and includes club options for 2029 and 2030.
“As much as we like Cristopher, I wouldn’t be telling you the truth if I was telling you last year when he first came up that we’d be sitting here and he’d have enjoyed the success that he’s had over the last year,” said Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. “What he’s accomplished has really been phenomenal.”
To be specific, Sánchez has a 2.91 ERA this season, seventh-best in the National League entering the weekend. His 3.15 mark since returning to the majors last June 17 is 19th among 115 pitchers who have thrown at least 100 innings in that span.
Financial terms weren’t disclosed as a matter of team policy, although the overall value of the contract is $22.5 million, with the options worth $14 million and $15 million, multiple sources confirmed. Sánchez, who is making $753,500 this season, was under club control through 2028. The extension covers his arbitration years and could delay his free agency by at least one year, possibly two.
But there’s no denying the message: Sánchez is a foundational piece of a starting rotation that led the Phillies to the best record in the National League through three months of the season — and has them dreaming of so much more in October.
“I follow what they do,” Sánchez, wearing an Alec Bohm-inspired “I love this place” T-shirt, said through a team interpreter. “[Zack] Wheeler, when he throws eight innings, I want to match that or do even better. Wheeler’s my favorite pitcher. He’s one of the top pitchers in the league. It’s unbelievable that I can be in the clubhouse and the same field with all these pitchers, especially Wheeler.”