The Philadelphia Phillies will be keeping another of their starting pitchers in the City of Brotherly Love for several more seasons. Cristopher Sánchez agreed to a six-year contract extension on March 22, 12 days after the organization extended starter Jesús Luzardo for the next five years.
With their starting rotation secure for multiple years, what other needs do the Phillies still have as the regular season begins? The organization will be looking for ways to improve the roster over the next several months. Some of the needs have been issues for the team over the last few years that still need solving. If Dave Dombrowski is all in with Sánchez and Luzardo, he should keep the hard work coming.
3 trade deadline moves the Phillies are contemplating after Cristopher Sánchez extension
Acquire an outfielder
Brandon Marsh and utility player Otto Kemp will perform a platoon in left field, which doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. Marsh goes through slumps, while Kemp is still gaining MLB experience, with a lack of prior playing time in left field in both the minors and majors. There are concerns that Adolis García will continue his downward trend from the previous two seasons. He may rebound with Philadelphia on a one-year deal, or manager Rob Thomson may find himself actively platooning the 33-year-old right-handed hitter with an outfielder who bats left-handed.
Taylor Ward of the Baltimore Orioles will be a free agent at the end of the year; if they aren't contending, he could be an option. Utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Red Sox has played in 42 contests in center field and 37 in left field during his MLB career. Boston has a remarkably crowded outfield, and someone - potentially Jarren Duran, a rising star who still can't play defense as well as Ceddanne Rafaela or hit for power as well as Wilyer Abreu - could hit the trade block. Maybe Dombrowski still has a few connections he can plunder in Boston, his old home?
Add starting pitching depth
While the Phillies committed a lot of money to Sánchez, Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Zack Wheeler, the club still enters this year with questions surrounding the depth of its starting rotation. Wheeler won't begin the regular season on time. Nola, who pitched well in spring training and the World Baseball Classic, is coming off an uncharacteristic 2025 season due to injuries and only a few excellent outings.
Rookie Andrew Painter shows promise, but it's uncertain how he'll do as he's aiming to regain his pre-Tommy John surgery fastball level. The Athletic's Jayson Stark said at the beginning of March on 97.5 The Fanatic's Unfiltered with Ricky Bottalico and Bill Colarulo that he believes Philadelphia is still actively looking to improve its rotation depth.
Some potential trade deadline targets include Chris Bassitt of the Orioles, the Colorado Rockies' Jose Quintana, and Lance McCullers Jr. of the Houston Astros. Bassitt proved he could be a good option for the bullpen in recent months, as the Toronto Blue Jays used him as a reliever last postseason. He, Quintana, and McCullers are all in their mid-to-late 30s and offer previous experience. Each would be an option at the end of the Phillies rotation.
Improve the bullpen
As with starting pitching, injuries and poor performances can change a club's bullpen depth. The Phillies have a solid group, including closer Jhoan Duran and setup pitchers Brad Keller and José Alvarado. The group of middle relievers is Orion Kerkering, Tanner Banks, Jonathan Bowlan, Kyle Backhus, Tim Mayza, and Zach Pop. Kerkering will open the season on the IL after dealing with a hamstring strain earlier in spring training.
Some relievers whom the Phillies may target include the Miami Marlins' Pete Fairbanks, Sean Newcomb of the Chicago White Sox, and the St. Louis Cardinals' JoJo Romero. All three are experienced players who have excelled in recent seasons and would make Philadelphia's bullpen even better.