Former Phillies’ top prospect Sixto Sanchez has elected free agency

Miami Marlins pitcher and former Phillies’ top prospect Sixto Sanchez has elected free agency.

Sixto Sanchez is a free agent:

Sixto has elected free agency. It’s officially over.

His Marlins career: 3-5, 74.2 IP, 4.70 ERA https://t.co/EHo1BbpWMB

— Isaac Azout (@IsaacAzout) November 5, 2024

Sixto Sánchez faced an uphill battle to return to Marlins’ rotation

Sixto Sánchez made his big-league debut with the Marlins on August 22, 2020, during the pandemic-shortened season. Over seven games, he showed serious potential, finishing 3-2 with a 3.46 ERA. But just as his career was gaining steam, injuries hit hard, bringing things to a sudden stop.

Sánchez hasn’t stepped onto an MLB mound since that 2020 season. In fact, he’s thrown just a single inning of competitive baseball since then, striking out two batters in a late 2023 appearance for the Marlins’ Double-A team, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

The 2024 MLB season presented an uphill battle for Sánchez as he continued working toward a full recovery, but even if he did return to form, cracking Miami’s rotation was a challenge. Despite Miami being a bad baseball team, their starting pitching depth remaind strong, with Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, and Jesús Luzardo already locking down rotation spots.

When the Marlins added Braxton Garrett, who held his own in 2023, and Trevor Rogers, plus high-potential Edward Cabrera, and it was an already crowded rotation for Sánchez.

As for Jorge Alfaro, he hasn’t found a steady home since his Phillies days. After stints in Miami, San Diego, Colorado, and Boston, he now has a minor league deal with the Cubs for 2024, hoping to make an impression in spring training. Across the last two seasons, he’s played just 100 games, including a total of 18 between Colorado and Boston in 2023.

Will Stewart, meanwhile, has never broken through to the majors. He spent his whole career in Miami’s minor league system but is now a free agent, still unsigned as of now.

Sánchez’s tale serves as a reminder that no prospect is “untouchable”

The return on trading Sixto Sanchez, along with Alfaro and Stewart, has been JT Realmuto—a trade that has unquestionably worked out in the Phillies’ favor.

Since arriving to Philly, Realmuto has made two All-Star appearances, grabbed two Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, and placed seventh in MVP voting in 2022. He’s also been a core part of the Phillies’ playoff runs, including their 2022 World Series appearance and 2023 NLCS journey.

In 2021, he inked a five-year, $115.5 million deal, solidifying his spot as “The Best Catcher in Baseball.” In his Phillies tenure, Realmuto has posted a .266 average with 682 hits, 109 homers, 382 RBIs, and 384 runs across 699 games. In postseason play, he’s hit .216 with 27 hits, six homers and 19 RBIs across 34 games.

Realmuto underwent right knee surgery that sidelined him for about five weeks during the summer months of the 2024 MLB season. He hit .286 in the final month of the regular season games leading up to the playoffs, suggesting that his struggles might be more of a cold streak rather than fatigue.

JT Realmuto was just as good in August too. While the rest of the Philadelphia Phillies’ lineup struggled, he held a .274 batting average with 23 hits, 4 homers, 17 RBIs and 11 runs scored in 23 games during the month after only playing seven games in July.

The postseason was a different story, as it was with the entire Phillies lineup. While Realmuto has been fantastic, it’s not crazy to recognize that he’s on the backend of his playing career and the Phillies would be wise to find a more suitable backup (Sorry Stubbs) heading into next season.

Since joining the Phillies in 2019, Realmuto has caught an astounding 5,548 1/3 innings during the regular season, far surpassing the next closest catcher, Christian Vázquez, who logged 4,707 1/3 innings.

As Realmuto enters his 11th full MLB season, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that a reduction in workload may be necessary for his longevity and effectiveness.

To properly facilitate this, the Phillies need to feel confident in their backup catcher situation with Realmuto entering a crucial contract year.

Scaling back Realmuto’s playing time in 2025 without sacrificing performance when he’s out of the lineup. More on that here >>

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