The Philadelphia Phillies and pitcher Zack Wheeler agreed to a three-year, $126 million contract extension on Monday, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported. MLB’s Mark Feinsand confirmed the news.
The agreement averages to $42 million annually for Wheeler, which marks the highest such figure ever for an MLB contract extension. He is entering the 2024 season in the final year of a five-year, $118 million contract. The extension links him to Philadelphia through the 2027 season.
Wheeler’s deal is also near the top of the list of the most lucrative contracts for a pitcher. When Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander signed with the New York Mets as free agents, their annual salaries were approximately $43 million.
By the end of the season, Wheeler will have played 10 MLB seasons overall and five years with the same team. That will grant him no-trade protection.
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Wheeler finished the 2023 season with a 3.61 ERA over 32 starts and 192 innings pitched. He registered 212 strikeouts, the second-best mark of his career.
In his four years with the Phillies so far, Wheeler has posted a 3.06 ERA and a 43-25 record.
