The Philadelphia Phillies have yet to announce a contract extension with Zack Wheeler.
They don’t need to just yet.
But it sure would be ideal if the Phillies can lock up the right-hander before the season starts. As of now, Wheeler will complete the final year of his free agent deal.
The 33-year-old Wheeler has been especially impressive in the playoffs with a career 2.42 ERA.
Aaron Nola recently inked a seven-year, $172 million extension.
If the Phillies harbor championship aspirations in 2024 and beyond, it would be essential to feature Wheeler and Nola in the starting rotation.
Money doesn’t appear to be an issue considering the Phillies made a serious offer for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who chose to sign a $325 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It’s a matter of working out the logistics of a long-term contract extension with Wheeler.
Let’s be honest: the Phillies need him.
"I hope we can," Nola told reporters of re-signing Wheeler. "I really hope we can. I've enjoyed my time with him a lot. I mean, he's one of the best pitchers in the league. He's one of the most humble as well. How he goes about his business, it's very cool to see being right next to him. I really hope we can have him for longer.
"We need him a lot. He's done so much for this team and this organization."
All true.
Wheeler went 13-6 with a 3.61 ERA in the regular season.
While he’s getting a bit older, there are few signs of him slowing down.
Not with his work ethic.
Expect a number of teams to be extremely interested if the Phillies don’t re-sign him. But after locking up Nola, the Phillies need to retain Wheeler.
Not doing so would be malpractice.
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