Wheeler is dealing:
The righty parlayed 44 career wins into a $118 million contract with the Phillies. Now he’s pitching like he has six-figure potential.
Free agents signed to ninefigure contracts have usually already proved what they can do at the major league level.
They have played at least six seasons in the big leagues. Almost all have performed at an All-Star level or would not command $100 million or more.
However, Zack Wheeler is not the typical high-priced free agent. Though he is 30, he is still, in a sense, establishing himself in the majors and the Philadelphia Phillies believe the right-hander’s best seasons are still ahead.
That is why they were willing to give Wheeler a five-year, $118 million contract even though he had just 44 career wins when he hit the open market last November.
“When you look at what he’s done the last few years and really throughout his career, he’s continued to get better and better,” first-year Phillies manager Joe Girardi said. “This is a power guy with four pitches where I think he’s just starting to reach his potential. I think there is more in the tank there. I think this guy can be more dominant than he’s been.”
There is indeed reason to believe that Wheeler has more upside than the typical 30-yearold pitcher.
Though he has over six full seasons of major league service time, he spent two seasons – 2015 and 2016 – on the injured list while he recovered from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery.
Thus, from a pitching standpoint, Wheeler is in his fifth full major league season rather than his seventh.
“I’d like to think so,” Wheeler told USA TODAY Sports when asked if he had untapped potential. “I think there are a few different things we can do to help me become better whether it is pitch selection, fine-tuning different things, analytics, whatever it may be.
“Whether it’s big or small, it doesn’t really matter to me. The goal is to get better every single day.”
Wheeler had spent his entire major league career with the New York Mets, the Phillies’ National League East rival, until this season.
The Mets acquired Wheeler from the Giants in a 2011 trade for nine-time All-Sar outfielder Carlos Beltran. The deal came two years after San Francisco used the sixth overall pick in the amateur draft to select Wheeler from East Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta.
Wheeler reached the major leagues in 2013 and compiled a 44-38 record and 3.77 ERA in 126 starts over all or parts of five seasons.
Yet it was that potential that enticed the Phillies to offer Wheeler big money.
If Wheeler proves to be a late bloomer, it would not be the first time. Scouts did not consider him a pro prospect until he was 17 years old and entering his senior year at East Paulding.
“I was always a good little athlete when I was younger,” Wheeler said. “I had a strong arm and I could hit but I wasn’t one of those guys who was going to make the team because I was a big hitter or could become a top pitcher. I just kind of a meh player.
“When I was 16, I was playing with better talent and helped me get better. I gained some weight in my senior year. It took me a little bit longer to blossom than other kids.”
Wheeler had certainly lived up to his contract through his first five starts of the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season. He had a 3-0 record and 2.76 ERA.
Four his five outings have been quality starts – at least six innings pitched and fewer than three earned runs allowed. He just missed a fifth quality start when he was pulled after allowing three runs in 5 2⁄3 innings.
Included in that string of good starts was a win over the Mets on Aug. 16 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Wheeler and Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen got into a bit of a tiff through the media early in spring training. Wheeler told the New York Post that when he and his agent circled back to the Mets in December before signing with the Phillies, “it was basically just crickets . ... It’s how they roll.”
Van Wagenen countered to reporters, “our health and performance department, our coaches all contributed and helped him parlay two good half-seasons over the last five years into $118 million. I’m proud of what our group was able to help him accomplish. I’m happy he was rewarded for it. Players deserve to be rewarded when they perform well.”
Wheeler held the Mets to two runs in seven innings and was able to keep the emotions of facing his old team in check.
“You have to calm yourself down and go out there and pitch,” Wheeler said. “We chatted back and forth a couple of times when guys were running by or whatever. But it was friendly. I made a lot of good friends over there, good relationships.”
Girardi has been impressed with Wheeler’s calm mound demeanor and especially pleased with how sharp Wheeler looked when summer camp began July 3. Wheeler did what he could to stay in shape after the coronavirus caused the suspension of spring training in mid-March.
“It was my goal during the shutdown that it was time to be ready to go seven, eight innings, whatever it may be,” Wheeler said. “I didn’t want to be behind.”
The only bummer for Wheeler so far is the Phillies have fallen behind in the National League East standings, in large part because of an ineffective bullpen, as they look to break a string of eight straight non-winning seasons.
Wheeler has yet to appear in a postseason game after missing the Mets’ playoff runs in 2015 and 2016 while rehabbing his elbow. He feels he will have the opportunity to pitch in multiple Octobers for Philadelphia before his contract expires following the 2024 season.
“Your first goal is to get to free agency,” Wheeler said. “Once you get that far and you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity to choose between multiple teams, you want to put yourself in the best position to win. I want to pitch in meaningful games. I want to pitch in the playoffs. I thought coming here gave me the chance.
“We have the best catcher in baseball (J.T. Realmuto) and most of the core players here are still young. I feel we’re positioned to be a contender for a long time. I’m very happy to be here.”