He still has games to win for the Philadelphia Phillies, and Citizens Bank Park needs to win a World Series. However, Wheeler told his agent that he wanted a new contract to be short and that he wanted one with the Phillies because he doesn’t want to pitch far into his 30s, or as the elite right-hander described it, “old, old.”
Wheeler achieved his goal and signed one of the wealthiest contracts in baseball history.
Wheeler and the Phillies reached a $126 million, three-year agreement on Monday; at $42 million, it is the fourth-highest average salary in baseball history. The deal is good for 2025–2027.
A Phillies star is worth $23.5 million.
The only pitchers with higher average salaries than Wheeler are Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers ($70 million), Max Scherzer of Texas ($43.33 million), and Justin Verlander of Houston ($43.33 million), the latter two of whom inked contracts with the New York Mets.
First baseman Bryce Harper stated, “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.” “So, yeah, dude, he deserves it.”
Wheeler has missed time due to injuries while with the Mets from 2013 to 2019, yet he has led the NL in innings and strikeouts during his four seasons. According to FanGraphs, he leads all pitchers in wins above replacement (WAR) during his Phillies tenure (19.3).
Following his absence from the 2015 and 2016 seasons,
It indicates to us that we believe Zack is currently the best player in baseball, according to President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski. “As of right now, based on the previous several years, we believe Zack Wheeler to be one of the best pitchers in baseball.
