Categories: Phillies Beat with Destiny Lugardo

Understanding Cristopher Sánchez’s extension and why it’s a testament to his growth

Cristopher Sánchez, wearing an “I love this place” shirt, poses for a photo with Jorge Velandia, Dave Dombrowski and Sam Fuld. (Destiny Lugardo/Phillies Nation)

A contract extension for Cristopher Sánchez came together quickly.

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said he received a phone call from Sánchez’s agent Gene Mato before the team’s trip to London on Sánchez’s interest in a new deal. Dombrowski was open to negotiating in-season, but only if talks did not drag on and become a distraction. The overseas travel stalled the process, but after a week of negotiations, a deal came together.

The club officially announced the deal on Saturday afternoon. Sánchez, wearing an Alec Bohm “I love this place” t-shirt, expressed his appreciation for the coaches, his teammates and his family.

“I feel great about this culture and what the future is going to be about,” Sánchez said through Phillies assistant general manager Jorge Velandia.

It’s an extension, but it’s technically not a long-term deal. Sánchez was already under team control through 2028, with his first year of arbitration eligibility coming in 2026. His new contract, which begins in 2025, gives the Phillies two club options for 2029 and 2030. The deal gives the Phillies two additional years of team control. While the financial terms of the contract have not yet been reported, Sánchez will receive a raise from the league minimum salary of $760,000 he was set to make in 2025. He is essentially sacrificing future money for more certainty.

The deal, if the Phillies exercise both club options, means he won’t become a free agent until his age 34 season.

The extension is a testament to Sánchez’s growth. He was acquired in a November 2019 trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for infielder Curtis Mead. Sánchez was Rule 5 eligible and the Rays, who are always short on 40-man roster space, dealt the high velocity minor league arm in exchange for Mead, who was a lottery ticket and more importantly, a few years away from having to be placed on the roster. Mead quickly rose up the Rays’ prospect list as Sánchez struggled. The trade looked like a typical Rays heist until Sánchez finally broke through.

Sánchez sacrificed velocity for command and became a mainstay in the Phillies rotation. He was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on June 17 , 2023 for a chance to be the solution to the Phillies’ No. 5 starter issues. He went on to make 16 more starts for the Phillies last season, posting a 3.35 ERA.

“Special” is a word Rob Thomson began using to describe Sánchez. His velocity is up, but he’s still maintaining the same command that made him successful in 2023. Hitters are batting .189 and swinging and missing at his best pitch, his changeup, 41.5% of the time. This year, his home run to fly ball rate is down from 22.2% in 2023 to 2.4% in 2024. He also has made seven quality starts this season, including two starts of at least seven innings pitched. His poise in tough situations has also impressed the Phillies.

“When he first came up, like most guys, when they struggle, everything speeds up on them,” Thomson said. “Can’t get back to normal. He’s been able to leap over that barrier to where he can really slow a game down. Nobody is ever complete, but he’s getting there.”

Sánchez will make his next start on Sunday morning against the Diamondbacks. The Phillies never expected to see Sánchez reach the heights he has so far, so it’s exciting to dream about what he could accomplish over the next seven years with the Phillies.

“If you grade his stuff out, it’s as good as anybody we got,” Thomson said.