The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a new contract agreement with ace Zack Wheeler, which was officially announced on Monday. Wheeler signed a three-year agreement that will keep him with the organization until the 2027 MLB season.
The Phillies were eager to secure Wheeler on a new deal, considering he was slated to become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, and they reportedly granted him a contract worth a record $126 million over three years.
Wheeler’s contract is the largest extension granted to a player in MLB history, with an average annual salary of $42 million. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are paid $43.33 million per year, however both players signed as free agents.
Wheeler had a solid 2023 campaign, pitching 192.0 innings. He finished 13-6 with a 3.61 ERA and 212 strikeouts, winning the Gold Glove Award.
“I do enjoy pitching, and I want to be here,” Wheeler told reporters Monday. “I adore competing. But I do not want to play until I am elderly. And I want to be with my family. But I’m absolutely loving the moment here, and every time I take the mound. It’s unique, and not everyone gets to do it. Not everyone has the opportunity to do what I have for as long. I am grateful for that.”
