Philadelphia Phillies Lock Up Rising Star with Contract Extension

The Philadelphia Phillies have committed to one of their rising stars for the foreseeable future after giving him a contract extension.

Jun 4, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

This past offseason, the question for the Philadelphia Phillies was if they would be able to re-sign Aaron Nola as he hit free agency following the year.

The two sides weren't close to an agreement before the 2023 season started and that caused him to reach the open market where other teams could have a swipe at him.

Ultimately, the Phillies dodged a bullet and got him back into their rotation with a lucrative seven-year deal.

Hoping to avoid that with their ace Zack Wheeler, they turned their attention towards him at the end of the offseason and got him to sign a three-year contract extension.

Behind those top two arms, Philadelphia has seen Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez emerge as real rotation pieces as they continue to just get better and better every season they pitch.

The Phillies have liked what they have seen so much out of Sanchez that they are finalizing a four-year contract extension with the rising star according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post. This will buy out the remaining arbitration years and give Philadelphia more club control, while also financially rewarding the left-hander.

Since Sanchez was in Triple-A last season, he was in pre-arbitration until 2026 and wouldn't have hit free agency until 2029. Still, the Phillies felt like this was something they wanted to get done and have now made sure the 27-year-old is taken care of.

Heyman did not report the financial details of what this extension will look like.

Sanchez is having the best season of his career so far with a 2.91 ERA in 14 starts. His career numbers are 10-10 with a 3.73 ERA across 55 games and 36 starts.