Philadelphia Phillies' Ace Agrees to Massive Contract Extension
Update, 10:10 a.m. ET: The deal is for three years and $126 million. That deal tacks on to the remaining one year he had on his original deal, meaning the Phillies will have Wheeler for the next four years at $149.5 million.
That information came from 'The Athletic:'
Now, he is in the upper echelon of pitchers in the sport, and he has a contract extension to reflect that. Wheeler and the Phillies agreed Monday morning to a three-year, $126 million deal, major-league sources told The Athletic, that will prevent him from becoming a free agent after the 2024 season.
9:30 a.m. ET: Entering the final year of his contract, Zack Wheeler has agreed to a long-term contract extension with the Philadelphia Phillies.
We don't know the terms yet but the report comes from Buster Olney of ESPN:
Zack Wheeler and the Phillies have agreed to a multi-year extension. Wheeler would have been the No. 1 pitcher free agent next fall, but instead, he stays in Philly. By season’s end, he will also accumulate 10-5 rights, and with that the power to veto any trade. Announcement imminent.
Wheeler had signed a five-year deal with the Phillies prior to the 2020 season. He's been everything Philly could have asked for when they signed him to that deal, and we knew that getting an extension done was a priority for the organization.
He's won double-digit games in six different seasons, including going 13-6 in 2023. Lifetime, he's 87-63 with a 3.45 ERA. He made the All-Star team during the 2021 season. He helped the Phillies get to the World Series in 2022 and to the NLCS again in 2023.
The veteran has appeared in major league games during nine different seasons. He made his major league debut in 2013 with the New York Mets and then pitched in 2014 before missing all of 2015 and 2016 with injury.
Wheeler is not the only long-term contract that the Phillies have inked this offseason: They also re-signed right-hander Aaron Nola to a long-term deal early on.
Though they have to compete with the loaded Atlanta Braves in the National League East, the Phillies will remain one of the favorites in the NL.
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