Aug 1, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez walks in from the bullpen at Citizens Bank Park. (Grace Del Pizzo/On Pattison)
Cristopher Sánchez hasn't yet committed to pitching for the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but Francys Romero says that last year's NL Cy Young Award runner-up does have some interest in doing so:
Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez has interest in representing the Dominican Republic at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, according to sources.
No decision has been made yet, but the 29-year-old left-hander has the willingness to pitch in the March world tournament.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) January 2, 2026
The reason this is newsworthy even without a final decision is that there was a seemingly-incorrect report floating around social media Thursday evening suggesting that Sánchez had decided not to pitch in the World Baseball Classic after logging 214 innings between the regular season and postseason last year for the Phillies.
Again, it remains to be seen whether Sánchez will pitch for the DR or not, but he's signed through the 2028 season, with the Phillies holding $15 and $16 million club options on him for 2029 and 2030, respectively. It is true that Sánchez is signed to one of the most team-friendly contracts in baseball right now, as he would get $150+ million if he was a free agent. But Sánchez isn't anywhere close to hitting the open market and getting a mega payday, like his Phillies teammate and country mate Jhoan Duran — who can become a free agent after the 2027 season — is. Duran has reportedly opted out of pitching in the WBC without long-term financial security.
Even without the financial consideration, Sánchez could still decide to focus on the 2026 MLB season and decline to pitch in the WBC. Team USA certainly would have loved to have had Zack Wheeler in their rotation during the 2023 WBC, but he thought the March tournament didn't jive with his normal schedule of preparing for an MLB season:
If Sánchez did pitch, he would join a rotation that includes former NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcántara and a roster where Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Ketel Marte, José Ramírez, Manny Machado, Julio Rodríguez and Junior Caminero have already committed. For as loaded as the Team USA roster that will include Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber looks, if Sánchez commits to pitching for his country, the DR is going to have as good of a squad as any country.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic will run from March 5 through March 17.
