Zack Wheeler and the Phillies Reach a Record-Setting Three-Year, $126 Million Deal Extension.
Zack Wheeler has supposedly been taken care of by the Philadelphia Phillies, who secured a long-term commitment from Aaron Nola in free agency.
Buster Olney of ESPN reports that Wheeler has consented to a $126 million, three-year deal extension, which he says “is the highest annual salary for any contract extension ever.”
Olney provided further information regarding the $42 million annual extension.
This offseason, Nola became the first big free agent to fall when he signed a seven-year, $172 million contract to stay in Philadelphia.
Regarding his choice to remain with the Phillies, Nola remarked, “This is the most comfortable place for me.” “Everyone in this organization is incredibly talented and has shown a strong dedication to both the players and winning. The connections I’ve created will endure forever, and I think it would be difficult to part ways with those folks.”
Nola’s connection with the Phillies dates back to 2014 when they selected him with the No. 7 pick in the MLB draft.
Wheeler’s ties to the Phillies don’t run quite that deep, but he’s established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball during his four seasons with the club. The 33-year-old originally joined the team on a five-year, $118 million pact signed in December 2019 after starting his career with the New York Mets.
The 2024 season was set to be Wheeler’s last year under contract to the Phillies based on the terms of his original deal.
Wheeler has placed in the top 12 of the NL Cy Young voting three times since the 2020 season began, including a runner-up result in 2021. He ranks fourth in innings pitched (629.1), wins above replacement (19.3), and fielding independent pitching (2.90) among all pitchers throughout that time.
Though Wheeler’s age (he turns 34 on May 30) makes this a dangerous move for the organization, he has shown remarkable durability since Tommy John surgery issues kept him out of the Mets’ lineup for the entirety of 2015 and 2016. With the exception of the 2020 season, which was cut short due to COVID-19, he has started at least 26 games in each of the previous five seasons.
Without a doubt, the Phillies plan to put everything on the line in their quest to overcome the last obstacle and win a World Series for the first time since 2008. All of the players with contracts through at least 2025 are Nola, Wheeler, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Nick Castellanos, and Kyle Schwarber.
Each of the last two seasons, Philadelphia has advanced to the NLCS, and in 2022, they will travel to the World Series. This club should remain at that level through 2024 and beyond under a rotation headed by Wheeler and Nola.
