Phillies agree to 6-year contract with opening day starter Cristopher Sánchez

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a new six-year contract with opening day starter Cristopher Sánchez.

The deal announced Sunday for last season’s NL Cy Young Award finalist begins in 2027 and runs through 2032 with a club option for 2033.

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Terms were not immediately available.

Sánchez had been offered a four-year, $22.5 million contract through 2028.

He went 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 32 starts last season and struck out a career-high 212 batters. He is 30-21 overall in four full seasons in the big leagues.

Originally signed by the Tampa Bay Rays as an amateur free agent in 2013, Sánchez was acquired in a trade by the Phillies on November 20, 2019 for infielder Curtis Mead.

Mead played in just 41 games for the Chicago White Sox last season, while Sánchez became one of the best pitchers in baseball and helped lead the Phillies to back-to-back NL East titles in 2024 and 2025.

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The Phillies want to continue their playoff run — four straight appearances before 2026 — and have locked up all veteran members of their staff to long-term deals.

Jesús Luzardo finalized a five-year, $135 million contract earlier this month that begins in 2027. Zack Wheeler has a $126 million contract through 2027 and Aaron Nola has a seven-year, $172 million contract through 2030. Rookie Andrew Painter is under team control through 2031 and has earned the fifth starting spot in the rotation.