Phillies sign Wheeler to 3-year extension: He's here 2025-2027

[Christopher]

3 years, $126 million .... $42 million per year

Phillies pay premium to (1) keep Wheeler, (2) keep the deal shorter, (3) get his continuing peak years.

One way to look at it is that the Phillies will now have had 8 years of Wheeler at $244 million, which works out to $30.5 million per season.

Not bad.

[jrollin24]

Had to do it and well-deserved. Does make you wonder if that fully closes the door on any further pitching upgrades.

[BelmontShore]

Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

Lotta money.

[Christopher]

Had to do it and well-deserved. Does make you wonder if that fully closes the door on any further pitching upgrades.

The only thing we don't know right now is if Walker being slightly banged up means he'll miss the start of the season.

If it's just a couple/few weeks, I they they can survive with someone like Spencer Turnbull as the #5 starter temporarily.

[BelmontShore]

Wondering if the Snell rumors are accurate or an effort from his team to get some movement.

[Christopher]

If Snell falls into their lap with something similar to the Bellinger contract -- 3 years with opt-outs after years 1 and 2 -- I could see them loading up and going for it. It might take Wheeler-Nola-Snell-Suarez to get past LA or Atlanta in a seven-game series. But I'd only put it at 5%. Besides the hit to the wallet, the hit to the farm (draft pick moves back, less international signing money) would be very real.

Let's also keep this in mind: I think the Phillies will be very interested in Soto next winter, and there's not really any money coming off the books after this season. If they add Snell with guaranteed 2025 money now, they'd be going way, way, way over the threshold to add Soto, too.

Also, they want to keep their powder dry, I think, for 22-year-old Japan ace Roki Sasaki. It's probably 50-50 that he gets posted after the 2024 season. We already know the Phillies had the highest bid for Yamamoto. If they make the same offer to Sasaki, who seems to be as talented, they could land him.

[Captain Obvious]

3 years, $126 million .... $42 million per year

Phillies pay premium to (1) keep Wheeler, (2) keep the deal shorter, (3) get his continuing peak years.

One way to look at it is that the Phillies will now have had 8 years of Wheeler at $244 million, which works out to $30.5 million per season.

Not bad.

You called this a while back. Perfect extension IMO.

[Bake]

Oh - and I like the Wheeler extension (just to stay on topic for a brief moment). I figured that it would take at least 4 years to keep him. Of course it is pricey as heck, but that is the price of elite pitching. What I like about DD is that he is bold enough to make these moves, but they have been intelligent moves for the most part. I would rather take the risk on known workhorses such as Nola, and on a guy such as Wheeler who they see every day rather than the desperate deGrom / Rodon style deals. Who knows - both Nola and Zack could break down faster than we hope, but the moves are sound in nature given the inherent risk of what it takes to buy and retain front of the rotation starters.