Dave Dombrowski: Elite rotation gives Phillies ‘the edge,’ Jesús Luzardo extension shows it

Plenty of Major League Baseball teams still believe in the value of building a deep, talented starting pitching rotation.

Not every team has assembled one as impressive and dominant as the Phillies' rotation, a group that last season finished as one of the sport's very best, a group that had three different players finish with Cy Young votes, and a quintet that now has four of them signed beyond 2026 thanks to Tuesday's announced mega extension for left-hander Jesús Luzardo.

Luzardo, coming off his 2025 breakout season, is signed now through 2031, at $27 million annually. He opted to sign now for the long term instead of taking his chances on free agency in 2027.

"This came at the perfect time for me," Luzardo said in Clearwater at a press conference to announce the new contract. "I’m glad that it worked that way.”

Right-hander Zack Wheeler, the team's longtime ace righty, is signed through 2027 at $42 million. Left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, last year's National League runner-up for Cy Young, is signed through 2028 at – amazingly – just $3.5 million, and veteran righty Aaron Nola – the team's Opening Day starter just a few years ago – is signed through 2030 at around $24.5 million.

Sitting alongside Luzardo was Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, who was asked why he invests so heavily in the rotation compared to other MLB teams.

His answer was both obvious and prescient.

“Basically, it’s worked," he said. "Because they’re good. And so anytime you have good starting pitching going out there that can set the tone, it gives you a better chance to win that particular game."

Dombrowski talked about the grind of an exhausting 162-game slate, and the postseason, but knowing the Phils' starter every night is likely to be better, or at least equal to, the guy toeing the rubber from the opposite dugout.

"I have always felt that when you go out there daily and you go out and look at who's out on the mound … Do you have the edge or not?" he added. "I really like having the edge myself when you look at the guy out there versus the other clubs.

"Normally it works out for you in the long haul when you work the percentages. Fortunately, we're in a spot where we have some of the best in baseball. It’s really worked out throughout the years for me.”

And he's hoping – actually, banking – on it working again.

The Phillies will lean heavily on their typically elite rotation to make up for an aging offense that lacks a clear cleanup hitter and a remade bullpen that hasn't yet proven itself.

Dombrowski shrewdly traded two position prospects to Miami last offseason to acquire Luzardo, knowing that one of his star left-handers, Ranger Suárez, was entering his contract year.

The Phils won their second straight pennant last year with their lefty trio – Suarez, Luzardo and Sanchez – doing heavy lifting while Wheeler got shut down in August from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery and while Nola battled injuries and just didn't pitch to his usual standard.

But the move to get Luzardo, who posted a career-best 3.92 ERA and struck out 212 in 183.2 innings in his first season wearing the red pinstripes or powder blues, also safeguarded the Phils' rotation for when Suarez inevitably bolted in free agency, which he did this offseason, going to the Red Sox on a five-year, $130-million deal.

Luzardo could've walked the same path, taking his chances on 2026 to potentially score more next offseason in free agency, but he wasn't about to jeopardize a guaranteed $27 million on the table from 2027 to 2031. This season, the hard-throwing southpaw will play on the $11 million salary he agreed to in January to avoid arbitration.

Luzardo observed the talent around him, the coaching staff that helped him emerge last season, and the chance to win big as reasons to sign on for the long term.

In himself, he sees an emerging star who has yet to reach his true potential.

"Like Dave said earlier, I think I always want to be the best… every five days," he said. "I just wanna go out and be as good as I can, as great as I can, just give this organization a chance to win. Whatever that is, who knows, but I’ll tell you that throughout these next five, six years the only thing I expect is to be great every time out and that’s what I work for."

The Phils are well-stocked at the game's most important position, both for now and the future. They have a top pitching prospect, right-handed fireballer Andrew Painter, poised to be the No. 5 starter and a minor-league pipeline replenished by last year's draft that saw the team use 14 overall picks, including its first eight, on arms.

In the postseason, when teams shorten their rotation, the Phils could potentially convert impactful starters into bullpen arms, which is how the Dodgers won last year's World Series.

“It’s a good feeling to have that [pitching depth] – as we all know, anything can happen," Dombrowski said. "Having some of the best pitchers in baseball … that you’re talking about three guys that finished in the top 10 in the league in Cy Young voting last year, one of the best young starters in Andrew Painter coming and we know Aaron Nola is going to bounce back and Taijuan Walker has had a nice, solid career.

"It gives you a lot of comfort when you know you can go forward with those individuals.”

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