Phillies Interested in Extending All-Star Pitcher
The Philadelphia Phillies might’ve whiffed on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but that doesn’t change what they have inside their star-studded roster. After re-signing Aaron Nola to a seven-year deal for more than $170 million, they have their eyes set on locking up another high-level arm already on the roster. The Phillies are interested in signing Zack Wheeler to a contract extension. Wheeler becomes eligible to be a free agent following next season. Dave Dombrowski has made it known that he won’t stop adding talent. If he believes Philadelphia can get better, he’s willing to do what’s necessary to get the job done.
Even with that being said, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports that the Phillies’ biggest priority is signing Wheeler to a contract extension. “Besides relatively modest upgrades, sources said the No. 1 priority is signing ace Zack Wheeler to a contract extension. It is something they always planned to pursue, even if they got lucky enough to sign Yamamoto.” The 33-year-old Wheeler posted an ERA of 3.61, a WHIP of 1.078, and a FIP of 3.15. He was above average in nearly every major advanced stat category, including fastball run value, xERA, xBA, chase%, whiff%, BB%, and more. 2023 indicated that there shouldn’t be much regression coming from Wheeler in the near future.
Since the 2021 season, Wheeler has thrown at least 153 innings in each season. He threw 213.1 in 2021 and 192 in 2023. He’s been an arm that can give teams 180-plus innings a season for most of his career. A reliable arm that’s produced is exactly what a World Series caliber team needs. Philadelphia has that with Wheeler and could continue to for a few more seasons if they agree on a new contract.
