Phillies

Cristopher Sanchez Gets Contract Extension, Phillies Finalize Opening Day Roster

By Luke Arcaini

Published: Mar 22nd, 2026 · 1:37 PM EDT

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Opening Day is just four days away, and a lot has gone down over the last few hours.

The Phillies and left-handed pitcher Cristopher Sánchez have agreed to terms on a new six-year contract that begins in 2027 and will run through 2032 with a club option for 2033.

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 22, 2026

The Phillies and Cristopher Sanchez agreed to terms on a new six-year contract that begins in 2027 and will run through 2032 with a club option for 2033. The new deal guarantees Sanchez $107M through 2032, including his $3.5M salary in 2026, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic.

This caught everyone by surprise this morning, as Sanchez was already on one of the most team-friendly deals for years to come. The Phillies wanted to reward Sanchez, who will make his first career Opening Day start on Thursday, for his incredible 2025 season.

Opening Day Roster Finalized

The Phillies Opening Day roster is finalized, well, basically. The team has not yet made it official in a statement, but Dave Dombrowski broke some news on a couple of updates over the last two days.

Dylan Moore and Tim Mayza both have a spot on the roster. Both players requested and received their release on Saturday, and the team signed both players to a major-league contract on Sunday. Moore, a right-handed hitting utility player, will take the last bench spot. Mayza, who pitched innings for the Phillies in 2025, will be the last guy in the bullpen for now.

Orion Kerkering will start the season on the injured list, alongside Zack Wheeler and Max Lazar. Kerkering is still recovering from a grade 1 hamstring strain that occurred earlier in the spring. The transaction of Kerkering to the IL will go into effect today (Sunday), meaning the righty is eligible to return to the Phillies bullpen on April 6th in San Francisco.

Rafael Marchan has won the backup catcher job, according to Dombrowski. The team will look around for a trade for Garrett Stubbs to try and land him a spot on a major league roster. If no trade happens by Wednesday, they’ll designate him for assignment with hopes of clearing waivers. Stubbs signed a split-contract ahead of the arbitration period back in the winter.

Phillies 26-Man Opening Day Roster

• Infielders: JT Realmuto, Rafael Marchan, Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Edmundo Sosa, Dylan Moore
• Outfielders: Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford, Adolis Garcia, Otto Kemp
• Designated Hitter: Kyle Schwarber
• Starting Pitchers: Cristopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola, Jesus Luzardo, Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter
• Relief Pitchers: Jhoan Duran, Brad Keller, Jose Alvarado, Tanner Banks, Jonathan Bowlan, Kyle Backhus, Zach Pop, Tim Mayza
• Injured List: Zack Wheeler, Orion Kerkering, Max Lazar

One more note from this morning: Phillies reliever Daniel Robert collapsed during his first bullpen of the spring. Robert, a fringe bullpen guy for the Phillies last season, suffered a cardiovascular event in 2025. The Phillies said later that Robert is stable and alert, and was taken to a local hospital. His implantable cardioverter-defibrillator was triggered, and the doctors will review the date.

Incredibly scary scene here at Phillies camp.

Reliever Daniel Robert just went down during his first bullpen of the spring after grabbing his chest. He suffered a cardiovascular event last year. He’s sitting up and conscious but surrounded by medical personnel.

— Ty Daubert (@TyDaubert) March 22, 2026