These Are the Four Best Philadelphia Phillies Contracts on Next Season's Payroll

The Philadelphia Phillies' payroll is filled with stars, but these four deals stand out above the rest.

Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) hits a double in the sixth inning against the New York Mets in game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies' roster is full of superstars from top to bottom, easily making them one of the best clubs in Major League Baseball on paper.

It has led to three consecutive postseason appearances, the first time the team has played October baseball three or more years in a row since 2007-2011. They also won their first National League East title since 2011 this past campaign.

The playoff success has not been there for the Phillies yet, outside of their World Series appearance in 2022, but with a roster as loaded as theirs, they can change that in any given year.

But when looking at the players on this team with the deals they have signed, which four contracts stand out above the rest?

SP Cristopher Sanchez

Four years, $22.5 Million; Club Options in 2029 & 2030 for $14 Million and $15 Million

Young starter Cristopher Sanchez has been a mainstay of Philadelphia's rotation over the last two seasons, pitching in 50 games with 49 starts.

He as a 3.36 ERA over that time with a 123 ERA+ across 281 innings, he and set a new career high in innings pitched in 2024 with 181 2/3.

The Phillies signed him to a team-friendly deal on June 22 to eliminate the rest of his arbitration years. They added two club options that can keep him under team control through the 2030 campaign.

With Sanchez now having a full-season's workload on his arm leading into 2025, the fall-off that he experienced down the stretch in 2024 should not happen again.

He is Philadelphia's fourth starter in their rotation, and could easily be any other team in baseball's second starter.

DH Kyle Schwarber

One year, $20 Million

The Phillies signed Kyle Schwarber ahead of the 2022 campaign, and he has proven to be the only member of the Chicago Cubs' World Series core who has continued to be a valuable asset.

He has more than lived up to his four-year, $79 million deal that has one final year remaining to take him through his age-32 season.

The slugger has totaled 131 home runs over the last three years, a 129 OPS+, and a bWAR of 6.4, with 3.5 coming in 2024.

Schwarber changed his approach this season, looking to draw more walks and not strikeout as much, and he successfully did both at the expense of his home run totals.

He was still able to hit 38 bombs while leading the National League in walks with 106 and striking out less than 200 times for the first time since 2021.

SP Aaron Nola

Six years, $147.4 Million

Aaron Nola entered free agency for the first time after the 2023 season, but it was highly unlikely that he would sign anywhere else after the career he had with Philadelphia to that point.

The Phillies rewarded Major League Baseball's preeminent workhorse with a seven-year, $172 million deal that pays him $24.5 million per season.

Nola has qualified for the ERA title every year since 2017, pitching 200 or more innings three times in that span, and 180 or more innings six times.

He is the only starter in baseball who can claim such a feat, tallying 1432 2/3 innings since 2017, with New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole the closest at 1374 2/3.

Nola has not been a middling innings-eater in that time, either. He's posted a 3.62 ERA with 1,590 strikeouts.

The starter has a full no-trade clause, and the contract takes him through his age-37 campaign, so he will likely spend his whole career in Philadelphia.

1B Bryce Harper

Seven years, $180.8 Million

What more is there to say about superstar first baseman Bryce Harper that has not already been said?

The Phillies signed the slugger to a 13-year, $330 million contract ahead of the 2019 season, and he has rewarded the team with the best years of his Hall of Fame career so far.

Harper has batted .285/.391/.533 across 3,128 plate appearances since joining Philadelphia, while also hitting 152 home runs, 455 RBI, and a 149 OPS+.

The superstar added a second National League MVP to his mantle in 2022 and has not posted an OPS+ lower than 145 since his 126 figure in 2019.

Harper moved to first base full-time in 2024, and to this point, it has worked wonders to keep him on the field. He's also looked like a natural while doing it, finishing in the top three for the Gold Glove award at the position.

The future Hall of Famer has made less than $30 million a year over the life of the contract so far and will continue to do so for its duration, allowing the club more payroll flexibility to add even more superstars.

All figures accurate as of Dec. 2