When Zack Wheeler first joined the Phillies, he sat on the club level at Citizens Bank Park and declared his intentions. “I want to be at the top,” he said in December 2019. He had never received a vote for the Cy Young Award. He wasn't considered an ace.
He is now one of the top tier of pitchers in the sport, and he has a contract extension to reflect that. Wheeler and the Phillies agreed to a three-year, $126 million contract Monday morning, major league sources told The Athletic, that will prevent him from becoming a free agent after the 2024 season.
Wheeler's annual salary will be the highest ever for a Phillies player and the fourth-highest annual average ever for a player.
Wheeler's extension begins in 2025. Wheeler has one season left on his original five-year, $118 million contract, which is arguably one of the best free agent contracts for a pitcher in recent history. Back then, it was a risky business for a pitcher who hadn't yet proven he was a consistent force.
But Wheeler has left no doubt about it since arriving in Philadelphia.
His 3.06 ERA with the Phillies ranks ninth among starters with at least 350 innings pitched since 2020. Only three pitchers — Gerrit Cole, Sandy Alcantara and Aaron Nola — have logged more innings than Wheeler over the last four seasons. According to FanGraphs' version of the metric, no pitcher has accumulated more WAR than Wheeler during that period.
By extending Wheeler, the Phillies are betting on a pitcher who hasn't logged as many miles as the typical top starter of his age. Wheeler, who turns 34 in May, missed significant time due to injuries early in his career with the Mets. He has amassed 1,378 2/3 innings in the majors. In comparison, Cole Hamels had 2,362 innings in his age-33 season. Roy Halladay had logged 2,297 innings.
According to major league sources, Wheeler may not want to pitch beyond this new contract. Both sides were ready for a shorter-term agreement. The Phillies now have their top two starters, Wheeler and Nola, locked into the rotation for the foreseeable future. At the start of the offseason, they signed Nola to a seven-year, $172 million contract.
Wheeler made 101 starts for the Phillies. If healthy in 2024, he will pass Halladay and Cliff Lee in games started as a Phillie.
And if he continues on his current path, Wheeler will be remembered as one of the club's biggest additions since free agency began.
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(Photo: Rich Schultz/Getty Images)