5 Phillies who won’t be on the Opening Day roster but will have an impact in 2023

5) Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez is a starting pitcher candidate

Cristopher Sanchez has youth on his side but not the numbers to even think about including him on the Opening Day roster. An injury to one of the Phillies starting pitchers could change things, putting them at a major disadvantage from the start.

Sanchez is 3-2 with a 5.47 ERA in the major leagues. It’s a small sample through 52.2 innings. As one could guess, he was much better in Triple-A last year where he worked mostly as a starter with the exception of one appearance. Sanchez went 2-2 with a 3.14 ERA in those 57.1 innings on the farm in 2022.

If there is one gripe with the structure of the Phillies organization, it is their lack of starting pitcher depth behind the major leaguers. Even Falter isn’t quite proven enough for a team with World Series aspirations. The organization has Michael Plassmeyer and James McArthur as two of their other candidates fighting alongside Sanchez. Familiarity with Sanchez could give him an advantage in their time of need.

There is only one minor league option remaining on Sanchez which means he needs to prove himself this year. Otherwise, the 2024 campaign will put him on the DFA bubble from the start. He’ll get a few starts this year and a couple of relief appearances. Will he show signs of improvement? Let’s hope the impact he has is a positive one.