Marcus Hayes: Unprecedented? Phillies and Cristopher Sánchez agree to unusual new six-year, $107 million contract.

Marcus Hayes, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Mar 22, 2026

Published in Baseball

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CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Phillies say Cristopher Sánchez should have won the NL Cy Young Award last season.

Now, they’re paying him like it.

In an unprecedented move for a major-league team with long-term control of an underpaid, hyper-talented player, the Phillies and Sánchez on Sunday agreed to a new, six-year contract that begins in 2027 and runs through 2032, with a team option for 2033. Sánchez, 29, will be 35 when the base deal expires. The guaranteed money totals $107 million, according to his agent. It’s the latest long-term investment from big-picture owner John Middleton.

“John really stepped up,” said Gene Mato, Sanchez’s agent.

Prepaying for Sánchez is Middleton’s latest effort at investing in his own starters before they hit the market. In March 2024, the Phillies locked in Zack Wheeler through 2027. Two weeks ago, they locked in Jesús Luzardo through 2032. Now, they control Sánchez through 2033. The last two deals were months in the making.

“We looked into the future,” said Dave Dombrowski, the team’s president of baseball operations. “We talked a lot about it over the wintertime.”

It is a move seldom, if ever, seen in baseball. Teams usually manage payrolls by minimizing outlay to players under their control and delay more expensive, long-term deals as long as possible.

Sánchez’s apparent salaries are not exorbitant, but he is not coming as cheaply as he could have been.

He was playing under a four-year, $22.5 million contract that pays him just $3.5 million this season and $16 million over the next two seasons, with club options for 2029 and 2030. He made $2.5 million in salary in 2025, when he finished second in Cy Young voting on the strength of a 13-5 record with a 2.50 ERA and 212 strikeouts in 32 starts, all highs for his four full seasons. With Zack Wheeler recovering from injury, Sánchez will be the Phillies’ opening-day starter.

The Phillies guaranteed Sánchez’s 2029 and 2030 options for $15 million and $16 million, then tacked on 2031 and 2032 for $30 million apiece and an option for 2033.

He already was a bargain, and with an average annual value from 2027 through 2032 of just over $17.1 million through 2032, he should remain an excellent value for the Phillies for the length of this deal. He led the majors in Wins Above Replacement last season, at 8.0, but his AAV ranks 41st, according to Spotrac. A league source indicated that the AAV over the last two seasons spikes to $30 million, which would place Sánchez among the current top 10. The option year, in 2033, would be $44.5 million. He also received a $6 million signing bonus, Mato said.

Asked why he didn’t bet on himself and really try to break the bank in a few years, Sánchez replied through an interpreter, “The security was very important.”

As the salaries increase, the Phillies will be seeing others come off the books. Right-handed starter Taijuan Walker, who will make $18 million this season, is in the final year of his deal. Wheeler, who makes $42 million per season, is expected to retire after 2027, when his contract ends.

It’s also worth noting that the Phillies received significant criticism this offseason for not spending lavishly to upgrade a roster that has disappointed in the last three postseasons. They did, however, re-sign Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto and extended Luzardo, contracts whose combined value, with incentives, could push the $450 million mark.

If nothing else, Sánchez is the latest example of the Phillies investing in themselves.

Roster ripples

Before their game against the New York Yankees in Tampa, Fla., the Phillies released left-handed pitcher Tim Mayza at his request, then re-signed Mayza to a major-league contract. They had released utility man Dylan Moore on Saturday, but also re-signed him to a big-league deal Sunday. Also on Sunday morning, they returned Rule-5 right-hander Zach McCambley to the Miami Marlins.

In other news, popular backup catcher Garrett Stubbs won’t break camp with the Phillies. Stubbs, the clubhouse social director from 2022-24, spent last season in Triple A as the Phillies turned to prospect Rafael Marchán, who hit .210 in his first full season. Marchán will be the backup again this year. The Phillies won’t designate Stubbs for assignment immediately but rather will try to deal him to a team with a big-league need by Wednesday.

Left-handed reliever Tim Mayza and right-handed reliever Zach Pop will round out the Phillies’ bullpen. Wheeler and Max Lazar will begin the season on the injured list, as will Orion Kerkering, whose strained hamstring has delayed his preparation for the season.

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Staff writer Scott Lauber contributed to this article.