Months after failing to reach a contract extension during spring training, the Phillies and Aaron Nola came together for a new deal on Sunday that will keep him in Philadelphia for seven more years.
But as the team’s other ace enters the final year of his own contract, perhaps the Phillies would prefer that an extension might be agreed upon this time around.
Right-hander Zack Wheeler is set to become a free agent after the 2024 season, the last year of a five-year, $118 million deal he signed in Philadelphia prior to 2020. Phillies president Dave Dombrowski acknowledged the club’s interest in potentially negotiating with Wheeler before his contract expires.
“We know we’d like to keep him in the organization for a lengthy period,” Dombrowski said on Monday at Citizens Bank Park. “But it’s not always easy. So, it’s something that I’m sure we’ll pursue at some point. But I’m not sure, at this point, how important it is for (Wheeler’s camp) at this time.”
The Nola situation can serve as a lesson in a few ways for the Phillies, providing them with an example of just how difficult coming to an extension can be. The team and the 30-year-old knew they wanted — and in some ways needed — each other back in the spring, which ultimately proved to be true this offseason. Still, that wasn’t enough for the two sides to come together before the season.
Hitting free agency is a big opportunity for a player and a source of leverage, and that may even be more true in Wheeler’s case. The 33-year-old has blossomed into one of the game’s best starting pitchers since signing in Philadelphia, meaning his services would be greatly desired in free agency. With a 3.06 ERA in 101 regular-season starts in four years in Philadelphia, Wheeler has been an ace of aces with the power stuff and postseason dominance to back it up.
The Phillies know first hand that top-of-the-rotation pitchers are coveted in free agency. Nola actually turned down more money
per year from other clubs in order to re-sign in Philadelphia for $172 million, as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer. Maybe the Phillies wouldn’t get that kind of discount next winter from Wheeler, who reportedly took less money to sign in Philly when he signed with the team originally.Wheeler should have a real chance at a big pay day next winter, and there’s a real chance the Phillies could be outbid. Perhaps that threat will motivate Dombrowski and the organization to be more aggressive in trying to complete a contract extension than they were with Nola in order to keep this rotation intact past 2024.
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