The Phillies hope to retain Wheeler in the City of Brotherly Love for the foreseeable future.
The Philadelphia Phillies had a very quiet offseason, with the exception of re-signing Aaron Nola to a seven-year contract and extending manager Rob Thomson’s contract.
However, with spring training beginning next month, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Phillies make a few more moves, particularly in the starting rotation, where another Cy Young contender is due for a salary raise.
Phillies Rumors: Philadelphia Wants To Sign Zack Wheeler To Extension.
In an interview on Foul Territory Monday, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal stated, “The Phillies want to extend Wheeler. He’s been successful in Philadelphia.” Rosenthal also stated that he expects it to be completed in spring training.
Rosenthal was asked an interesting hypothetical question regarding which teams may deal a starting pitcher to sign someone else. However, the MLB insider is true in stating that the Phillies want to keep Wheeler in Philly for the long haul.
Surprisingly, this is not the first time we’ve heard Wheeler and a contract extension referenced in the same sentence.
In December, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki stated that the Phillies’ first objective is to sign Wheeler to an extension. Zolecki stated that Philadelphia had always intended to pursue it, even if they signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Wheeler, 33, is entering the last year of a five-year, $118 million contract inked with the Phillies in December 2019. Since moving to Philadelphia, Wheeler has established himself as one of the finest pitchers in the National League and the majors.
Last season, Wheeler was 13-6 with a 3.61 ERA in 32 starts. He also had 212 strikeouts (the second most in his career) in 192 innings thrown. The seasoned starting pitcher’s ERA was less than 3.00 in his first three seasons with the Phillies.
Wheeler has also been a standout pitcher in the playoffs and a consistent Cy Young candidate. If Nola can keep the ball in the yard this season, he and Wheeler can help the Phillies return to the postseason and potentially win the National League pennant (+700 on FanDuel Sportsbook) for the second time in three years.