Zack Wheeler Rumors: Phillies set sights on extension for ace pitcher after Yoshinobu Yamamoto snub
The Philadelphia Phillies have turned their attention to extension talks with ace Zack Wheeler after they missed out on coveted Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Phillies emerged as late contenders in pursuit of the Japanese pitcher, with the New York Yankees, Mets and Dodgers already vying for the signature of the 25-year-old right-handed pitcher.
As it turned out, Yamamoto joined the Dodgers for a record fee for a pitcher in MLB history, joining his national teammate Shohei Ohtani at the 2020 World Series winners.
With the Phillies failing to land Yamamoto, the extension of veteran pitcher Zack Wheeler takes center stage. Wheeler is currently in the fourth year of his five-year $118 million Phillies contract, one year away from hitting free agency.
He currently has a $23.6 million average annual value on his contract, and given the spending prowess of the MLB sides, the Phillies won't want the risk of letting the ace pitcher hit free agency.
"Besides relatively modest upgrades, sources said the No. 1 priority is signing ace Zack Wheeler to a contract extension. It is something they always planned to pursue, even if they got lucky enough to sign Yamamoto," MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki stated.
Despite a few bumps last season, Wheeler remains the dominant arm in the Phillies' bullpen. Several other MLB sides will line up for the ace if he hits free agency, given his impeccable postseason record in the last two years.
The Phillies tabled a strong offer for Yoshinobu Yamamoto in their pursuit
Although there have been no reports about the Phillies' offer for the former NPB sensation, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski stated that the club made a strong push for the coveted pitcher.
“I think we were extremely competitive,” Dombrowski said. “We were very, very competitive. We were aggressive. When we made our presentation [last week in Los Angeles], I think our guys did a tremendous job. I think they presented the organization well.