Sánchez's new deal; Opening Day roster announced

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Hi, this is Chase Utley's The Philly Show. Christopher Sanchez has just signed a six year contract extension four days before he makes his first opening day start for the Phillies. Dave Dombrowski has announced the opening day roster. Hi, everybody, Ruben Tomorrow, Junior, Jim Salisbury, Todd z Aluki.

00:00:28
Speaker 2: It's the Philly Show.

00:00:29
Speaker 3: We're coming to you from Bake Care Ballpark in clear Water.

00:00:33
Speaker 4: I finally made it.

00:00:34
Speaker 1: Ruben's here in the flesh, which we love to see, which we love to see. And let's you know what, Let's let's start Christopher Sanchez. And he's a great guy to start with. Manco Manco Best Week. There we go, Manco Manco Best Week. It's where we pick our best Phillies player, play moment, and.

00:00:59
Speaker 3: It has to be Christopher Sanchez.

00:01:01
Speaker 1: Jim Yeah, six year contracting sension worth guaranteed one hundred and seven million.

00:01:07
Speaker 2: Let's talk about it.

00:01:08
Speaker 5: Great week for Christopher Sanchez. He completed a terrific spring with a strong outing here the other day, and he had his second outing for the dr and the World Baseball Classic was exceptionally had eight strikeouts and five innings and then it just continues on Sunday with the announcement of a contract sension named Opening Day Starter. So, you know, they essentially went in and kind of restructured his previous deal, which still had a couple of years remaining. And at the back end of that deal they had two options, so there was a fourteen and a fifteen million dollar option. They guaranteed those, and then they said take two more years at thirty and thirty. So a wealthy man a nice you know, I think a nice more than a gesture on the Phillies part. It's good that they so open minded because I mean that contract was one of the best bargains in baseball. He clearly outpitched it, and both sides went in and opened it back up. And now he has paid commensurate with a guy who second in the Cy Young last year, twenty nine years old in his prime getting better should compete for Cy Young's and be a bedrock piece in this rotation for a long time. It takes some guaranteed money through thirty two with an option for thirty three.

00:02:26
Speaker 4: So pretty good deal.

00:02:27
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it's a great deal for both sides.

00:02:30
Speaker 6: Very rarely do you get a situation where you get both sides benefit. For Christopher Sanchez, this was about, you know, being comfortable and knowing exactly you know, not having to worry about money anymore and just going out and pitching. Stated that during the course of the press conference, and I think, you know, for the Phillies, it was sort of a note brainer that they were going to pick up those two option years anyway, and you know, to throw a thirty million, two thirty millions on that in this day and age, with the way starting pitching is going. I mean, you're talking about guys making anywhere from thirty five to forty plus per year, and he's been one of the best pitchers in baseball. So great deal for both of them, Happy for both and really what an amazing development for the player himself. The maturation that he's gone through, the fact that he continued to try to be better and better every single year. He's learned so much from some other players, but he's also taken it upon himself to be the best.

00:03:32
Speaker 7: Player he can be. Pretty amazing transformation both.

00:03:37
Speaker 6: Originally just a thrower guy with a great arm, yeah, and became that the picture he was.

00:03:43
Speaker 5: He was kind of a rock thrower when he got here kind of big fastball, did not know where it's going. He's developed pitchability, He's you know, developed one of the best change ups in all of baseball.

00:03:54
Speaker 4: He's adding a slider right. Yeah, you know.

00:03:58
Speaker 5: His pitching aptitude is outstanding, and you know you gotta go hats off. I know Tampa Bay was in a bit of a roster pinch, but I remember talking to Matt Clintach former GM the night they made that trade for Curtis Meade, and he flat out said, this is a scouting trade. They had a roster pinch. I leaned on our pro scouts. They liked what they saw and they pulled the trigger on him. So good trade by him. Great job by player development and pitching development here at the big league level. And not all organizations would be open minded to restructuring a contract. Some organizations would say, no, no, you signed it, you finish.

00:04:32
Speaker 4: It, and we'll we'll judge you year by year.

00:04:35
Speaker 5: They opened this thing up and made a major commitment.

00:04:40
Speaker 2: You think back just talking to him this spring.

00:04:42
Speaker 1: What's been cool to see too, or really over the past couple of years, is how much he has grown in his confidence. I mean, you know, I talked to him earlier. Great, this happens to most guys, very kind of timid. And now he's he's like, openly, I think he's got a thing with you. He like's kind of busting on you a little bit when we're interviewing it. But he's been joking around with us a lot this spring, Reuben. You know, we've been asking him questions. What did you ask him the other day? You said you're gonna lose any sleep opening day?

00:05:09
Speaker 5: He was, you know, I you know how he'd sleep because it's exciting. Yes, you know, you get a little ramped up and you don't sleep well the night before. I know I don't sleep well before I come on the Philly Show, nor do.

00:05:22
Speaker 2: I I'm sweating bullets. And what did he say?

00:05:24
Speaker 1: He kind of looked at and he goes, he kind of left, He goes, do you think I should be sleeping well in opening day or the night before Opening day? And then at the very end of the of the interview the other day when we were talking about him making the opening day start, at the very end, he looked at Jimmy goes, I'm gonna sleep just fine.

00:05:39
Speaker 3: Right.

00:05:40
Speaker 6: He did say that he's great, certainly coming out, there's no question about it, and his confidence is off the charts right now. I mean, this is a guy, if anybody, who deserves to be an opening day starter.

00:05:52
Speaker 3: The way he threw the ball last year and.

00:05:53
Speaker 7: The way he grew.

00:05:56
Speaker 6: I mean, listen, folks, it's not often that you have this group of starting pitchers. It's something that you should a lot of people should should marvel at because they got a chance at three number ones. Yes in that rotation when Chris, when Zach Wheeler backed, I said, Chris Wheeler. When Zach Wheeler bounces back and it's back on this rotation, there's a chance that you got three ass at the time. That's a pretty damn good starting rotation.

00:06:25
Speaker 5: And two big financial commitments to two left handers this spring. Lozardo twenty eight years old, Sanchez twenty nine years old, locked up for a good long while, Nola's locked up for a while, Andrew Painter is under control for a while. Pitching starting pitching is it's the bedrock of any team, and particularly with this Phillies group, and these guys stay healthy, it's a nice place to be.

00:06:51
Speaker 1: I think if I'm Sanchez, Lozardo, Nola and painter. I'm maybe trying to work over Zach Wheeler a little bit over the next couple of years and say, come on, buddy, you know you want to.

00:07:03
Speaker 2: Go a couple more years, especially if he's pitching.

00:07:06
Speaker 1: Will know because Zach has said he's he's probably done after this this current contract ends. But yeah, absolutely, just tremendous news, and we've got more to come.

00:07:15
Speaker 2: We'll be right back.

00:07:16
Speaker 8: Hey, it might be time to have a heart to heart with your phone and be like, I love you, but you cost too much.

00:07:23
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm not paying this much anymore. That's it.

00:07:26
Speaker 6: I mean, why would I go more than fifteen dollars a month.

00:07:29
Speaker 4: Mintmobile can give that to me and I get all the same.

00:07:32
Speaker 8: Coverage exactly, and you don't have to deal with the crazy bogus fees or free perks that actually end up costing more. Mint Mobile plans for premium wireless start at just fifteen bucks a month, and all plans come with high speed data and unlimited talk intext delivered on the nation's largest five G network. If you like your money, mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at mintmobile dot com slash territory that's mintmobile dot com. Slash t E R R I T O R Y. Upfront payment of forty five dollars for three month five gigabyte plan required equivalent to fifteen bucks a month. New customer offer for first three month only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra see mint mobile for details.

00:08:16
Speaker 2: All right, we're back.

00:08:19
Speaker 1: Dave Dombrowski after this press conference on Sunday here at Bake air Ballpark talking about the Christopher Sanchez deal, takes us off into a side room not to kill us, are you guys?

00:08:33
Speaker 3: Worry?

00:08:34
Speaker 5: Also think about some of the press conferences we've had in that side room over the years.

00:08:39
Speaker 2: We had Yeah, I was like, oh, here we go.

00:08:41
Speaker 4: This is it. We Ruben used to come in that side room and yell at us.

00:08:46
Speaker 1: We have had We have had some some a lot of a lot of moments. Yeah, I remember we The one that comes to mind immediately was Cole Hamil's Ruben. We were saying his elbow was bothering him one spring, correct, I mean, wasn't that one.

00:08:59
Speaker 5: There was a Cliff Lead press conference, is there? There was an Oldubal horror press conference, is right?

00:09:04
Speaker 2: That's right.

00:09:04
Speaker 5: It's a legendary little.

00:09:07
Speaker 2: Room it is a legendary little room.

00:09:09
Speaker 1: So so Dave did talk to us about a lot of the roster moves that they made. And let's start by talking about the bench. I guess we know who the every day eight is. Every day nine, I guess. And Dave Dombrowski said, Raphael Marshawn has been told he has made the team. Garrett Stubbs has been told he has not made the team. There's some technicalities there in terms of what's going to happen next with him.

00:09:33
Speaker 2: The other bench spots are going to be.

00:09:37
Speaker 1: Otto, Kemp, Yep, ed Mundo Sosa. You know those two are no surprises. But Dylan Moore also has made the team as a utility player. What kind of nothing major I guess or surprising stunning in that in those moves, But what jumps out to you guys.

00:09:53
Speaker 5: Yeah, not a lot of surprise. They like Moore's versatility. They were able to rework his contracts on a big, big deal, so he stays as you talk about last week, he has eight different gloves. Rob Thompson wants that versatility. Sosa and Camp to me are what Pat Gilick used to call semi regulars. You know, they're on your bench, but the semi regulars, because you know, if action means anything. Rob Thompson started Sosa at second base against Schooble the other day, started camp in left field against Schooble, So that would hint to uh, platoons in left field, in second base at least to start the season. You want to keep guys going after they've gotten that bats down here. You don't want them to kind of grow cobwebs early in the season. So I think they'll play a lot. No surprises they're on the bench, not a.

00:10:36
Speaker 3: Lot of surprises.

00:10:37
Speaker 6: Although Dylan Morris started off the season kind of slow, this this this spring made a little bit of a swing adjustment.

00:10:44
Speaker 4: Uh.

00:10:45
Speaker 6: He's not a great offensive players, numbers aren't terrific, but he has the versatility that's necessary, and they don't they don't need They feel that they need more that versatility as opposed as opposed defensive versatility, as opposed.

00:10:59
Speaker 7: To the off I mean they're gonna go basically with the.

00:11:02
Speaker 6: Guys that they've got, and and and the addition of of Sosa and Kemp's filling in at times.

00:11:11
Speaker 9: This is a team that was pretty well set in the offseason anyway when they re signed JT and Schwarber, So not a lot of surprise. It will be interesting to see if there are breakdowns.

00:11:24
Speaker 6: Who's gonna get the bulk of the play you know, who's gonna get a chance to play and such.

00:11:29
Speaker 2: But no real surprises for me.

00:11:31
Speaker 6: It's unfortunate that there's only twenty six guys, and so Garrett Stubbs is the guy who are the man left out because I think he's got a chance to get picked up by somebody. Talk to some people in the industry and he's he's he could be a hot comeoutity. He's not a whole lot of guys that do the job as well as he can do it. I'm you know, sitting on the bench and providing not just talent as a player, but also someone who is on you'll basically another coach on the field. So we'll be interesting to see what happens with him over the next uh, you know, four or five days.

00:12:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, so basically right, the Phillies are going to try to according to Dave, they're gonna try to trade him see if there's a team that could take him over the next until Wednesday, correct.

00:12:17
Speaker 5: And it sounds like he's gonna look around as well. The team's gonna see if there's a trade there for him, right, and they have to set their roster officially on Wednesday. If he's still here, he'll become a DFA then and have to go through the waiver process. And there is a road back to the Lehigh Valley, but there are exit ramps to every other organization if something pops.

00:12:44
Speaker 1: And then again, remember he's he send that split contract in November, so if they can't find a taker the next couple of days, if he goes, if he's dfa'd, he clears waivers, he can still elect free agency at that point if he wants, but he would forfeit that splittrack which does pay him or will pay him five hundred and seventy five thousand dollars in Triple A, which is a really that's a that's a big number for a Triple A player, a guaranteed Triple A player.

00:13:09
Speaker 3: Big number for Garrett, for a Triple A player.

00:13:12
Speaker 6: But for teams that are contending teams, I would not be surprised. That's a team or two that'll be out there that would at least consider that.

00:13:20
Speaker 3: Yeah, there's probably a bunch of teams out there that.

00:13:23
Speaker 6: Don't feel comfortable about their third or fourth catchers in their organization. I think the guy's gonna end up being in the big league somewhere, and I hope for his sake he does. Selfishly, you'd love, you know, if you were in the front office for the Phillies, you'd selfishly love to have him come back and pay him gladly that five seventy five. But I think that he's going to have opportunities in other space space.

00:13:47
Speaker 5: He's a valuable depth, depth piece. It would be really good for the franchise, the organization if he ends up back here.

00:13:53
Speaker 4: I don't know if you will.

00:13:54
Speaker 1: And if he does leave, Rene Pinto would be the number three catcher. He's got a little bit of big league experience. And then Dave Debraski also also mentioned Caleb Ricketts. So let's take a break and we're gonna talk bullpen.

00:14:09
Speaker 8: AJ Baseball season is finally here, and there's nothing like listening to the sweet sounds of the game while you're at home, enjoying some home cooking, whipping up a beautiful meal with Hello fresh and there are many, many, many recipes to choose from.

00:14:24
Speaker 4: I love those big portions.

00:14:25
Speaker 10: Scott over one hundred mouth watering recipes each week, including cuisines from around the world, like some of my faves curry chicken and roasted sweet potato jumble, smoky Chipotle, beef burrito bowls, and sweet tie chili salmon.

00:14:39
Speaker 8: There's now three times this seafood for no up charts and press guests. Or treat yourself with new grass fed steak ribis. So go to HelloFresh dot com slash ft one zero FM to get ten free meals plus a free Zwilling knife one hundred and forty four dollars ninety nine per cent value on your third box offer valid while supplies last free meals applied. His discount on first box new subscribers only varies by plan because when dinner tastes this good, nothing hits like home cooking.

00:15:11
Speaker 2: All right, we're back.

00:15:13
Speaker 1: Dave Dombrowski also talked about how the pitching staff is going to shape up and and this is no surprise. Andrew Painter was on the team. He was told a couple days ago. Then we saw on Instagram he also got engaged a couple of days ago.

00:15:26
Speaker 3: Good good, good week for Andrew Painters to congratulations to Andrew Painter.

00:15:30
Speaker 1: That was that was one of those him and Justin Crawford was one of those they opened.

00:15:37
Speaker 4: Duh, that's a great way to put a jim.

00:15:40
Speaker 1: Because everybody been you know, I listen, I was guilty of but so so the other day when when Rob announced the opening day rotation and said, you know, Painter's going to make his debut on March thirty. First, I did write a story to put a headline and said Andrew Painters officially made it. But part of me did want to write as my lead. Duh, because even though Dave Dembross in the Phillies front office said, listen, he's got to earn a spot, Justin Crawford's got to earn a spot. What would it have taken for neither of those guys not to make the opening day roster. It would have been almost like injury or just absolutely something unimaginable performance wise.

00:16:17
Speaker 3: But both of those guys would have been disastrous.

00:16:19
Speaker 6: I mean, good on the Phillies and good on the players to have right and to right actually because they did.

00:16:27
Speaker 3: They played well. Crawford played well.

00:16:29
Speaker 9: I liked that what I saw on the outfield from him, which is a big concern of mine.

00:16:33
Speaker 3: I liked what I saw with the at bats. He had quality at bats. Didn't look over match. Now when the season starts and the bell really rings, will it be different? Maybe? Will will he start to get picked apart? Possibly? But on the flip side, Peter threw the ball very well.

00:16:49
Speaker 9: At first I was a little concerned about you know, it's overall not his stuff.

00:16:54
Speaker 3: Never questioned about of stuff, but his command. But he added up pitching better and better and better.

00:17:00
Speaker 11: We talked about this, when do you evaluate the players the most? And to me, young players are evaluated much better at the end of spring training, when guys are closure and closer.

00:17:10
Speaker 3: To being ready major league ready.

00:17:14
Speaker 6: And I thought bothland performed better late than they did in the early part, which is a you know, good.

00:17:19
Speaker 5: On the painter had that great start down against the Braves and a great lineup against a team. And the other day over here against the best pitcher on the planet, Tarek Scooble, or at least one of them, top two or three, he had a really good game. He strike, you know, he strokes a triple down the right field line and runs like a gazelle to third base, and then you know, then later in the game, Schooble punched him out. Hey, that's gonna happen when you're facing a picture like that. It was kind of a microcosm orre a young player will go through with so much promise there. He also came in on a ball full speed. That thing was not dropping in. I love the way he comes in on balls. Eager to see what both of these guys can do. And you know, there's a little footnote with this prospect incentive promotion plan. If they if you know, they're opening on the opening day roster, if they stay all year and finish certain level for a rookie of the end, the Phillies gonna en up a picking up a draft pick. So that's something keep an eye on, keep an eye on a little bit, right, Yeah.

00:18:20
Speaker 2: One hundred percent.

00:18:20
Speaker 1: So the rotation to start the season, for those that haven't seen it, it was announced on Friday or over the weekend. Uh, it's going to be Christopher Sanchez obviously opening day, Aaron Nola pitch Game two, Jesus's Arto pitch Game three. Taiwan Walker will pitch the series opener against the Nationals on March thirtieth, and if you want to check out Andrew Painter's major league debut, who knows where he might go from your guys, that could be a good ticket. Well I don't, they don't have ticket stubs anymore, but that would be a good ticket to get March thirty first against the Nationals. So all right, the bullpen has also set. Jim, you wrote it down because I'm gonna forget. So let's read through the bull Let's read through the bullpen because I'm not gonna remember. They'll go for it. Juan Durant, it's gonna he's gonna be closing.

00:19:03
Speaker 4: Yeah, he will.

00:19:05
Speaker 6: The light show, Alvarado will be uh thrown from the left side as a as I set up.

00:19:10
Speaker 5: Right Keller from the right side, and then you know, returning lefty Tanner Banks new edition Jonathan Boland, big tall, right handed power guy. Zach Popp makes it veteran. He's been around a little bit. I thought this kid had a great camp. Kyle Bachis. They pick him up in a trade with Arizona. He comes in with options, so he needed to shine a little bit and he did just that. He's kind of thundered, not really thunder, but he's he drops down uh side arm and he had a great game over in the Yankee against the Yankees last week.

00:19:46
Speaker 4: Allows a leadoff double.

00:19:48
Speaker 5: In the middle innings to uh Ben Rice and then strikes out Bellinger Stanton and chise him with from the side sinkers fastballs topped out at ninety two and a half.

00:20:02
Speaker 8: There.

00:20:02
Speaker 5: He's not a power guy, but he's gotten a little more juice here in camp. They love that that that look, and they love the extension and the deception.

00:20:09
Speaker 4: So he's on it.

00:20:10
Speaker 5: And Tim Mason, veteran local guy, spent a lot of time with the Blue Jays. He makes the roster. He was in on a minor league contract. That did a good job and it's nice to see him and Oriyan Kirkering will open on the injured list. They'll take their time with him, probably all of what fifteen days. Yeah, probably get him back to feeling right and we'll see him at some point.

00:20:33
Speaker 7: Yeah.

00:20:33
Speaker 3: That the Kirkering thing makes some sense to me.

00:20:37
Speaker 6: I thought that they there was a there was a possibility that they could have optioned him, but they ended up, you know, putting him on the il, which makes sense. He's not quite ready and so get a couple more reps before he has to he's allowed to come back on him.

00:20:53
Speaker 7: That the rule is such, I think it's ten to eights. I don't know it's backdated.

00:20:56
Speaker 3: I'm not sure exactly how it's backdated.

00:20:58
Speaker 2: I think he backdated maximum three days days.

00:21:01
Speaker 6: So within the next you know, ten days, two weeks, whatever, hill he should be back.

00:21:05
Speaker 3: And uh and adding to that, you know to that.

00:21:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, So Zach mccambley, who is their rule five pick? He got returned to the Marlins. Uh Chase Shugart who they picked up from the Orioles in the offseason off waivers. I believe he got option. He had options, so he got sent to Triple A. So they do like their They do like their bullpen depth. They do have a lot of arms down there. If something should happen, they need some guys, so they they maintained that.

00:21:30
Speaker 5: But Luke Trevino went to Triple to Triple A. I mean, veteran right hander. The way these teams nowadays turn bullpens and and and use their personnel, I think all these guys are going to get an opportunity at some point and then it's it's what you do with that opportunity that kind of determines if you stick or not.

00:21:50
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm not sure what happened in maxlzzar did we talking about?

00:21:53
Speaker 2: Yeah, oblique, he has an oblique. Yeah, so he's gonna open on the injured list.

00:21:57
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:21:58
Speaker 4: For depth, he's an.

00:21:59
Speaker 3: Important depth piece as well. I'm a pick piece.

00:22:01
Speaker 7: I think he might be Adam Options.

00:22:03
Speaker 3: Is he Adam Options excellists or maybe he's not.

00:22:06
Speaker 6: He might have one more option, And if he does have one, he becomes even more valuable to this club because he has contributed at times except for you know, a couple of really tough outings. I think in Chicago last year he actually put together a pretty dark good year point.

00:22:19
Speaker 1: And then starting pitching wise, depth wise. We asked Dave about this as well, because that was something he had addressed earlier in camp, because you look at the rotation right now, obviously you have the six guys with Wheeler, and then beyond that, you know you're talking Alan Ron Hell, Jeane Cabrera, Bryce Wilson's in camp, Tucker, Davidson and Dave said that they had been looking for starting pitching depth optionable starting pitching depth, and as you know, Rubin. You don't not easy to find optionable starting pitchers, quality starting pitchers in a trade, especially at this time of year.

00:22:58
Speaker 3: That's what they might be looking for.

00:22:59
Speaker 6: For a guy like Garrett Stubbs or some combination of Garrett Stubbs could be a prospect. You may see, you may see a deal transpire that in bombs a couple of different players, including Garrett, where it's such a big time commodity where they might have to go and overpay for a guy who's optionable and quality and that's hard to find.

00:23:22
Speaker 2: Yeah, no doubt.

00:23:23
Speaker 1: So all right, guys, Oh, I want to mention this as we're talking about all these pictures. We had a great conversation the other day with Caleb cosso nice and he was awesome. We had him on about a year ago right before spring training spring training of twenty twenty five. Learned so much same thing talking to him the other day right here at this spot at Baker Ballpark. We go through a lot of the starting pitchers, some of the bullpen guys, a lot, just a lot of great insights. So that's going to be on posted on Tuesday morning, so definitely check that out.

00:23:56
Speaker 3: Oh.

00:23:57
Speaker 6: Also interesting, I talked to Jason Stark, who's obviously Hall of Famer scribe, and he was it was really interesting to hear him talk about the reputation that the Phillies have, particularly Caleb and his group of developing pitching, because the entire industry really is taking notes.

00:24:15
Speaker 5: Yeah, well, you look at what they've done with the WIZARDO, look at what they've done with Sanchez, Look what they've done with Alvarado, who was a project kind of when he came here.

00:24:24
Speaker 4: Probably things they've done with Wheelers.

00:24:26
Speaker 5: Wheelers coming over from the Mets took it, took it to another level. I'm probably missing somebody, but they they've done a good job keeping their guys pretty healthy too.

00:24:35
Speaker 7: Yeah, they just a tremendous job of that as well.

00:24:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, they absolutely have.

00:24:38
Speaker 1: So make sure again check out Caleb Cotham on Tuesday. Until then, Fellows, smell you a lot of boys. The Philly Show is brought to you by the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe to The Philly Show on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.