Phillies Want to Extend Ace During Spring Training
The Philadelphia Phillies’ decision to re-sign Aaron Nola this offseason was the right one as opposing clubs were interested in acquiring the right-handed pitcher. While a different arm could hit the market soon on the Phillies roster, their goal is to make sure that doesn’t happen and plan to sign him during Spring Training. According to Ken Rosenthal, he expects Philadelphia to get a deal done in Spring Training that keeps Zack Wheeler with the team. Wheeler, 33, posted an impressive season in 2023. He tossed 192 innings, the third most of his career, and had an ERA of 3.61. His 3.15 FIP made it the sixth straight season with under a 3.50.
In the 2021 season, Wheeler had the best season of his career. He tossed 213 1/3 innings and had a 2.78 ERA.
Pitching for the Phillies isn’t an easy task, but the ace has completely succeeded in doing so since signing a five-year, $118 million contract with the organization after leaving the New York Mets. Wheeler’s advanced numbers indicate that there shouldn’t be any regression anytime soon. He posted a pitching run value and fastball run value in the
99th percentile last season, according to Baseball Savant. Wheeler’s an arm that has proven he can pitch when it matters most in a tough environment. There isn’t much of a reason for Philadelphia to let him walk in free agency and sign someone else who might not do what he’s done during his four seasons with the club.
With a slow offseason for the Phillies, the idea of trading Wheeler doesn’t make sense either. They don’t have someone who can come in and replace him unless they make a surprising trade within the next few weeks.
