Wheeler, Phillies agree to three-year, $126M extension
Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed Monday on a $126 million, three-year contract for 2025-27, the fourth-highest average salary in baseball history at $42 million.
The Phillies' ace gets $23.5 million this year in the final season of a $118 million, five-year contract, one of the best free agent contracts in Phillies history.
“I've really just enjoyed being here in Philly,” the 33-year-old right-hander said. “The fans are the best. Playing in Citizens Bank (Park) in October, there's nothing like it.”
Wheeler's average salary trails only Dodgers twoway star Shohei Ohtani ($70 million), Texas pitcher Max Scherzer ($43.33 million) and Houston pitcher Justin Verlander ($43.33 million), the latter two who signed their deals with the
New York Mets.
Wheeler has led the NL in strikeouts and innings during his four seasons withb the Phillies after missing time with injuries while with the Mets from 2013-19.
After he missed the 2015 and 2016 seasons following Tommy John surgery, Wheeler has made 90 starts the last three seasons.
An NL Cy Young Award runner-up in 2021, Wheeler also won a Gold Glove last season.
The new deal for Wheeler adds yearly salaries of $42 million. He gets a hotel suite on road trips and agrees to make a $100,000 charitable contribution each year.
“I think it works out for me, I think it works out for the team,” Wheeler said. “I'd rather have it now than go to free agency and see what happens.”
The Phillies, who reached the NL Championship Series
Zack Wheeler, who was 13-6 last year, is 43-25with a 3.06ERA in 101starts over four seasons with the Phillies.
each of the last two years, now have their toptwo starters anchoring the rotation for years to come. Philadelphia signed fellow right-hander Aaron Nola to a $172 million, sevenyear deal.
In 11 postseason games, Wheeler has a 2.42 ERA. He's pitched at least six innings and allowed fewer than three runs in eight of his 10 postseason starts. He won three games in the 2023 postseason, including a 2-0 record against Arizona in the NLCS.
Wheeler is 87-63 with a 3.45 ERA in 227 career starts that dates to his 2013 debut with the Mets.
Donaldson retires
Josh Donaldson says he's retiring after a 13-year career in which he was voted the 2015 AL MVP and was selected to three All-Star Games.
The 38-year-old announced his plans on “The Mayor's Office,” a podcast hosted by former major league first baseman Sean Casey. Donaldson is a free agent after splitting last season between the New York Yankees and Milwaukee.
“It's sad because I'll be not able to go out there and play the game that I love anymore, but it's also a very happy time that I get to be around the family and kind of take that next chapter in life,” said Donaldson, who noted that he got married during the offseason.
Donaldson was among the top third basemen from 2013-17 with Oakland and Toronto.
He finished fourth in the AL MVP balloting with Oakland in 2013 and won the award with Toronto two years later. During that 2015 season, Donaldson hit .297 with 41 homers and an ALleading 123 RBIs. Donaldson also led the AL in total bases (352) and topped the majors in runs (122) that season.
Donaldson earned three straight All-Star appearances from 2014-16 and was fourth in the AL MVP balloting in 2016. After injuries limited him to 113 games in 2017 and 52 games in 2018, he signed a $23 million, one-year contract with Atlanta and batted .259 with a .379 on-base percentage, 37 homers and 94 RBIs.
He signed a $92 million, four-year contract with Minnesota at age 34 but his play tailed off. Donaldson hit .222 with 60 homers, 171 RBIs and a 24.3% strikeout rate over that deal.
Minnesota dealt Donaldson to the Yankees ahead of the 2022 season. He hit .142 with 10 homers and 15 RBIs in 33 games with the Yankees last year, then was released last Aug. 29. He signed a minor league deal with the Brewers two days later, was called up Sept. 11 and hit .169 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 17 games.
Donaldson finishes with a .261 batting average, .358 onbase percentage, 279 homers and 816 RBIs in 1,383 regular-season games with Oakland (2010, 2012-14), Toronto (2015-18), Cleveland (2018), Atlanta (2019), Minnesota (2020-21), New York (202223) and Milwaukee (2023).