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Zack Wheeler is remaining in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future, receiving one of the priciest salaries ever in MLB history to do so.
The star right-handed pitcher has agreed to a three-year, $126 million extension with the Philadelphia Phillies to avoid free agency next offseason, according to multiple reports. With the annual salary of the contract reaching $42 million, Wheeler’s yearly salary is the highest ever for an extension in MLB history. Additionally, it’s the fourth-highest average annual value for a contract in MLB history.
Before agreeing to the three-year extension, Wheeler was entering the final year of a five-year, $118 million contract he signed ahead of the 2020 season, possibly making him one of the top players in free agency next offseason.
Instead, the Phillies are keeping the 33-year-old in town for possibly the rest of his career. While Wheeler was already a solid starting pitcher during his five seasons with the New York Mets, he’s reached even greater heights during his tenure with the Phillies. He’s gone 43-25 with a 3.06 ERA in 101 starts in his four seasons with the Phillies, making him one of the game’s best starting pitchers in that span.
Phillies’ Zack Wheeler records eight K’s in six IP against Diamondbacks
Wheeler’s best season in the majors also came with the Phillies, going 14-10 with a 2.78 ERA while leading the league in innings pitched (213.1) and strikeouts (247) in 2021, finishing second in the NL Cy Young voting that year. After another strong year in 2022 (12-7 record with a 2.82 ERA), Wheeler received Cy Young consideration again in 2023. He went 13-6 with a 3.61 ERA with 212 strikeouts and a 1.078 WHIP in 192 innings pitched.
Wheeler turns 34 in May, and he has had a relatively lighter workload in his career for a pitcher of his age. He’s pitched just 1,378.2 innings in his career, although he missed the 2015 and 2016 seasons due to Tommy John surgery.
Wheeler’s best seasons align with the Phillies’ emergence as a World Series contender. As Philadelphia made it to the World Series in 2022 and the NLCS in 2023, Wheeler has also delivered on the postseason stage. He’s gone 4-3 with a 2.42 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) over the last two postseasons.
The Phillies hope to finally get over the hump in 2024. While they didn’t make any major acquisitions this offseason, Wheeler is the second pitcher they’ve gotten to commit to the team long-term. They re-signed Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million contract earlier in the offseason.
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