Wheeler, Phillies reach $126 mil., 3-year deal
Phillies ace signs 4th-highest average salary in MLB history
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zack Wheeler turns 34 in May and just celebrated with his wife the birth of the couple’s third child.
He has more games to win for the Philadelphia Phillies and a World Series title to chase for Citizens Bank Park. But Wheeler doesn’t want to pitch deep into his 30s — “old, old,” as the ace right-hander put it — so he told his agent he wanted a new contract to be short and he wanted one with the Phillies.
Wheeler got what he wanted: one of the richest deals in baseball history.
Wheeler and the Phillies agreed Monday on a $126 million, threeyear deal for 2025-27 that has the fourth-highest average salary in baseball history at $42 million.
The Phillies’ ace gets $23.5 million in 2024, the final season of a $118 million, five-year agreement that is among the best free agent contracts in Phillies history.
“I’ve really just enjoyed being here in Philly,” Wheeler said.. “The fans are the best. Playing in Citizens Bank in October, there’s nothing like it.”
Wheeler’s average salary trails only Los Angeles Dodgers two-way 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.
“I was happy he got over the 40 million mark because he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball the last couple of years,” first baseman Bryce Harper said. “So he definitely deserves it, man.”
Wheeler has led the NL in strikeouts and innings during his four seasons after missing time with injuries while with the Mets from 2013-19. He also leads all pitchers in wins above replacement (WAR) while with the Phillies at 19.3, per FanGraphs.
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.
“What it tells us is we think Zack is as good as anybody in baseball right now,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “For us right now, when we look over the last handful of years, we think Zack Wheeler is as fine a pitcher in the game of baseball.”
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.