Is Zack Wheeler One of the Best Free Agent Acquisitions the Phillies Have Ever Made?
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Like every other franchise, the Philadelphia Phillies have signed a plethora of free agents through the years.
Some were busts like Lance Parrish.
Some were good like J.C. Romero.
Some were great like Jim Thome.
The best ever?
Let’s go two-fold here.
For everyday players, it’s Bryce Harper. That’s a no brainer. He’s a Most Valuable Player candidate every season.
For pitchers, let’s go with Zack Wheeler.
In the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world we live in, it’s natural to look back at Wheeler’s most recent performance – being pulled after 70 pitches in Game 6 of the World Series against the Houston Astros.
Wheeler was stellar in that start, but the passionate Phillies fanbase will always wonder after he was pulled in favor of Jose Alvarado. The result was a three-run home run by Yordan Alvarez and ultimately a World Series title for the Astros.
Look at the big picture since Wheeler joined the Phillies on a five-year, $118 million contract and it’s clearly a top tier signing.
Wheeler went 12-7 with a 2.82 ERA in the regular season despite landing on the injured list late with forearm soreness.
In three seasons with the Phillies, Wheeler’s ERA has never eclipsed 3.00. In the playoffs, Wheeler was 1-3 with a 2.78 ERA in six starts.
Had the New York Mets held onto Wheeler, they easily could have advanced to the postseason.
The Phillies took advantage and they have a No. 1 or No. 2 starter for years to come.
Now that Wheeler has earned his initial postseason experience, he should be even better off when the Phillies have that chance again.
“This is the best I’ve seen him," Phillies Gold Glove catcher J.T.Realmuto said during the National League Championship Series. "From start to start, he’s had his ace stuff every single time we’ve handed him the ball. I think the pressure and being on the biggest stage is just something he’s thrived on. He’s been great for us.”
Wheeler was consistently throwing 98 miles per hours throughout the season. Following his stint on the injured list, the velocity would dip to 94 or 95 by the fifth or sixth inning. But he was still remarkably consistent in the strike zone.
More than that, the pressure of the postseason never fazed Wheeler. His approach never changed. His demeanor looked the same. He was stoic.
And he was solid.
This was clearly $118 million well spent.
Despite the injury, Wheeler was reveling in the playoff run.
“It’s the end of the season, so everybody’s banged up a little bit -- but it all kind of goes away when you’re having fun like this,” he said.
Free agent acquisitions are always tricky. Teams like the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees routinely hand money out like they’re playing Monopoly.
It doesn’t always work.
It doesn’t always work with the Phillies either.
But adding Wheeler to the starting rotation has already paid large dividends. It should in the years to come as well.
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