Philadelphia Phillies Have New Priority After Missing Out on Yamamoto
After missing out on free agent starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly interested in locking up right-hander Zack Wheeler once again.
According to an article from MLB.com:
Besides relatively modest upgrades, sources said the No. 1 priority is signing ace Zack Wheeler to a contract extension. It is something they always planned to pursue, even if they got lucky enough to sign Yamamoto.
Wheeler is eligible to become a free agent following next season.
Wheeler is 33 years old, so it's not known how long a deal he could get, but it would seem like the team would need to give him a three or four-year deal at least to get him to forego free agency.
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.
He signed a deal with the Phillies before the COVID 2020 season and helped the Phillies reach the World Series in 2022.
He's won double-digit games in six different seasons, including going 13-6 this past season. Lifetime, he's 87-63 with a 3.45 ERA. He made the All-Star team during the 2021 season.
It's unknown how much money the Phillies have left in the budget. They already have Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Aaron Nola, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos locked up long-term. The team also would like to renegotiate Harper's deal potentially.
Philadelphia reached the NLCS this past year.
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