Phillies inks star pitcher to historic contract, making him 4th most expensive MLB player
Ex-Red Sox executive secures groundbreaking contract extension for Phillies’ star pitcher Zack Wheeler
The Philadelphia Phillies are continuing their trend of rewarding their top players with lucrative contracts.
On Monday, they finalized a three-year extension for Zack Wheeler, their star pitcher, valued at 126million.
Originally starting his career with the New York Mets, Wheeler joined the Phillies as a free agent signing for five years and $118 million before the 2020 season. Since making the switch from the Mets to the Phillies, Wheeler has established himself as one of the most dominant and reliable starting pitchers in the league. In his first four seasons with the Phillies, his 19.6 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) ranks highest among all Major League pitchers.
Wheeler boasts an impressive 3.06 ERA, which is the fourth-best in the Majors since 2020, along with a 1.055 WHIP in 101 regular-season starts for the Phillies. His impressive performance includes three complete games and two shutouts, all achieved during his 2021 All-Star season. Despite leading MLB in innings pitched (213 1/3) and the National League in strikeouts (247) and WAR (7.7) in 2021, he narrowly missed out on the Cy Young Award to Corbin Burnes, who held the ERA title but fell short in total innings pitched.
Manager Rob Thomson expressed his satisfaction with Wheeler’s performance by stating, “He’s been worth every penny,” in remarks to reporters last September.
The architect behind Wheeler’s extension is Dave Dombrowski, the former president of baseball operations for the Boston Red Sox. Since assuming the same role with the Phillies in December 2020, Dombrowski has transformed the previously struggling team into a formidable contender in the league.
To achieve this, he had to persuade owner John Middleton to do something unprecedented for the Phillies: go beyond the luxury tax threshold. Dombrowski’s notable expenditures included re-signing star catcher J.T. Realmuto in January 2021, signing free agents like Kyle Schwarber (four years, 100M) in March 2022, acquiring Trea Turner (11 years, 30072M) in December 2022, and offering a contract extension to homegrown talent Aaron Nola (seven years, $172M) in November. Only a short time after emphasizing the importance of extending Wheeler, Dombrowski successfully made it happen.
Similar to his significant moves with the Red Sox, such as the record-breaking contract for David Price, trades for Chris Sale and Craig Kimbrel, and signing JD Martinez, Dombrowski’s aggressive spending with the Phillies yielded quick results. Although they narrowly missed the playoffs in 2021, the team achieved its first winning season since 2011. In 2022, they secured their first-ever Wild Card spot, ending their playoff drought and advancing to their first pennant since 2009, before ultimately losing the World Series to the Houston Astros. Despite exceeding the Competitive Balance Threshold last year and making the playoffs again, they were defeated by the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games in the penultimate round. Presently, according to Spotrac, they are approximately 237 million threshold.
Wheeler played a crucial role in the Phillies’ recent postseason success. His impressive 2.42 ERA in two postseason runs with the team ranks him among the top in MLB history (minimum 10 starts). According to Elias Sports, his 0.73 WHIP in his first 10 postseason starts is not only the lowest for any pitcher in postseason history with a minimum of 10 starts but also the best career WHIP in postseason history for any pitcher with at least 50 postseason innings pitched.
In contrast, the Red Sox have largely avoided significant spending since Dombrowski’s departure in September 2019, opting for a substantial rebuild. With the exception of Rafael Devers, they have parted ways with every member of the 2018 championship team Dombrowski assembled, focusing on developing their farm system. They have finished last in their division three times in the last four seasons and are predicted to finish last this year as well. Despite having ample room below this year’s luxury tax threshold and no current Competitive Balance Tax penalties, they are sticking to a self-imposed budget, drawing criticism from their own players, past and present, as well as league executives.
Wheeler’s new contract does not include any options, ensuring he remains with the Phillies until 2027. Upon completing the upcoming season, he will earn 10-and-5 Rights, granting him the ability to veto any trade proposal after reaching 10 years of Major League service time and five consecutive seasons with the same team.
The news of Wheeler’s extension brings a positive note to an otherwise bittersweet day for Philadelphia sports, as Jason Kelce announced his retirement after spending his entire 13-year NFL career with the Eagles.
