Phillies willing to listen to offers for Zack Wheeler, per report

Jean Segura is not the only Philadelphia Phillies player who could be moved this offseason.

According to ESPN‘s Buster Olney, the team — citing “a financial crunch” — is open to trading Zack Wheeler this offseason.

The Phillies signed Wheeler to a five-year, $118 million contract last December to slot in behind Aaron Nola and bolster the rotation. Wheeler pitched extremely well in his first season, with a 2.92 in 71 innings pitched over 11 starts.

Rob Maadi of The Associated Press reported that the Phillies lost $145 million during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Even with all of the talk about money lost by both the Phillies and all of baseball during the 2020 season, this is a surprising development. The Phillies signed Wheeler to be a part of their core for the next several seasons, and moving him would make their path to the playoffs increasingly difficult.

It is hard to envision that moving Wheeler would bring the Phillies a significant return, considering other teams throughout baseball faced similar financial losses last season. It is also a sign that the team may be quiet on the free-agency front this offseason, despite several holes throughout the roster.

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