The Philadelphia Phillies just won the offseason. I guess it doesn’t matter because they were so bad the offseason before, but Philadelphia is moving in the right direction. After bringing Joe Girardi to manage the squad a build a real culture, Philadelphia has now signed Zack Wheeler. The Phillies have agreed to a deal with Wheeler for 5 years worth in excess of $100 million.
Jeff Passan of ESPN was the first to report the news:
Jim Salisbury of NBC Philadelphia has reported the deal is worth just shy of $120 million. A big commitment by the Phillies.
Wheeler, 29, was the best buy on the market, in my opinion. It turns out Wheeler was very sought after and for good reason. Wheeler has shown he is durable again over the last two years making a combined 30 starts. He has also shown good walk rates and strikeout rates too. There was a reason why Wheeler got more than you may have expected. Make sure you click that link above where I further explain why Wheeler more than anyone else is the free agent you should want.
The Phillies are getting a really good player here. Wheeler fell victim to the Mets poor environment and the numbers showed. Wheeler’s FIP number was much lower than his ERA. Again, I spilled out all my thoughts on that post above. It’s the best post I’ve written in a long time. Just go read that one. You will like what the Phillies did today.
This was an incredible get for the Phillies. One, they steal a player from the division rival Mets. Two, this gives the Phillies a great number two starter. Aaron Nola is as good as it gets. Philadelphia needed depth behind him. Wheeler provides that. If Jake Arrieta can return to form, the Phillies have a nice stable of arms. Add in Vince Velasquez, Nick Pivetta, and Zach Eflin. Things start to look a lot better in Philly.
