Phillies to pay out Cristopher Sánchez’s All-Star contract bonus: ‘It means a lot’

SAN DIEGO – Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez is not officially an All-Star, but the Phillies are recognizing him as one.

The front office has agreed to pay Sánchez’s contractual bonus for making the All-Star team. Sánchez said pregame on Saturday that the Phillies received a call from the league earlier this week regarding Sánchez’s availability to pitch in Tuesday’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Sánchez starting Sunday’s game against the San Diego Padres and pitching an inning on Tuesday in Atlanta was not an option for both the team and player. Neither was moving him up to start Saturday on regular rest. 

“We think he’s an All-Star,” manager Rob Thomson said. “His teammates do. The entire organization does. I think that’s why John (Middleton) and Dave (Dombrowski) activated (the bonus).” 

Sánchez’s exclusion from the National League All-Star team and Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jacob Misorowski’s selection after just five MLB starts angered some of his teammates. Some of that frustration – and confusion – carried over the next day. 

But there is a silver lining. While Sánchez won’t officially be recognized as a two-time All-Star, he’ll reap some of the monetary benefits of an All-Star selection. 

“It means a lot,” Sánchez said via a team interpreter. “That’s why I love everybody here. I love everybody on this team. We’re one here. It just feels like we’re one big group.” 

While it’s not standard practice, Sánchez — or any starting pitcher scheduled to start on Sunday — is technically eligible to pitch in the All-Star Game. An attachment in the collective bargaining agreement states that a selected pitcher who starts on the Sunday before the Midsummer Classic can request a “Usage Accommodation.” Health, innings limits, workloads and other relevant medical information can be used to support the request.

However, Sánchez was not selected for the All-Star team. He said that while MLB never contacted him directly, the league office did call Thomson and Dombrowski about Sánchez potentially serving as a replacement on the roster.

Sunday starters seldom appear in the exhibition, and any accommodation requests from pitchers are usually made “after consulting with their team,” a source said. With pitching injuries mounting and front offices leaning more and more towards risk aversion, clubs have all but completely eliminated the practice of a starter pitching on Sunday and then appearing in the All-Star Game two days later.

“Any other scenario where I’m not pitching tomorrow, I think I would be going to the All-Star Game,” Sánchez said. 

The left-hander’s numbers are unequivocally All-Star worthy. Through 18 starts, Sánchez has a 2.59 ERA. He is one of nine MLB pitchers entering Saturday to accumulate three FanGraphs wins above replacement. Jesús Luzardo (3.1) and Zack Wheeler (3.8) are ahead of him. Ranger Suárez (2.4) is right behind despite missing the first month of the season. 

It’s why it’s a bit surprising that Wheeler was the only Phillies pitcher named to the NL All-Star team. He declined to participate. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber will be the lone Phillies player in Atlanta. 

“I was hoping that Sánchy or Ranger or someone would be added,” Schwarber said postgame Friday. “I know Sánchy is throwing Sunday. For me, and even with Ranger, if they’re good enough, name them an All-Star. If they can’t pitch, they can’t pitch. Same thing with Trea. He’s been arguably the best shortstop in the National League. It’s unfortunate. I wish my teammates were there. We know what we have, and I think that we’re grateful for what we have.” 

“I mean, everyone (in the Phillies clubhouse) knows I’m an All-Star,” Sánchez said. “They’ve shown it by supporting me here. The league knows it too. But I got to pitch tomorrow.” 

Phillies Nation’s Ty Daubert contributed to this story.