Phillies ace Sanchez agrees to new 6-year deal

The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a new six-year contract with ace left-hander Cristopher Sanchez.

The team announced Sunday that the deal will start in 2027 and includes a team option for 2033.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but sources told ESPN that the deal is worth approximately $103 million in new money. Sanchez will make $3.5 million in salary for 2026 before the new deal starts next year.

The contract supersedes the deal Sanchez signed before the beginning of last year -- one that paid him $47 million over four years, including two team option years.

Sanchez, 29, has emerged as one of baseball's top starting pitchers over his past two seasons with the Phillies. He had been playing on a $22.5 million, four-year contract that was through 2028.

Sanchez went 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 32 starts last season and struck out a career-high 212 batters. He's 30-21 over his five-year career.

Sanchez was particularly good at home, where he compiled a minuscule 1.94 ERA and a .200 batting average against in 2025. He gave up two or fewer runs in 14 of 15 starts at Citizens Bank Park.

Sanchez has also been durable, making 63 total starts over the past two seasons. He has also made four postseason starts over the past three years, compiling a 2.79 ERA.

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

Mead played in just 41 games for the Chicago White Sox last season while Sanchez has blossomed into one of the best pitchers in baseball and helped the Phillies capture consecutive NL East titles in 2024 and 2025.

The Phillies want to keep their postseason run going -- four straight appearances headed into 2026 -- and have locked up all veteran members of their staff to long-term deals.

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.