There’s momentum in the market for righty Zack Wheeler, who is reportedly already sitting on a nine-figure offer. The Phillies are now perhaps the strongest pursuer of the 29-year-old, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports.
With the Philadelphia organization firmly entering the picture, Wheeler is sitting in an enviable position. There are a host of other teams still in the picture. Olney cites the Reds, White Sox, and Rangers as remaining involved. We’ve previously heard of intense interest from the Twins, who were reportedly still in the picture as of yesterday.
In another report this morning, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter) suggests that the Reds and White Sox are the other teams most clearly in the mix with the Phillies. But it’s still a fluid bidding situation, so far as is known publicly. Indeed, Rosenthal adds that the Angels “have shown real interest,” though their status at the moment isn’t clear.
This could be building into a perfect storm for Wheeler, whose big arm and relative youth hold obvious appeal. It seems teams have come to terms with his history of arm issues and are banking on a two-year track record of durability. In our ranking of the top 50 free agents, we predicted widespread interest to drive Wheeler to a five-year, $100MM deal with the Phillies. It now seems he will top that guarantee; Olney even floats the possibility that a team will end up offering a sixth year to land the in-demand hurler.
Enjoy the empty seats Mr. Middleton.
Congratulations on turning Bryce Harper into a scam. “What headband will Bryce wear today?”
Bryce and the Fat Green Puppet.
Do you purposely try to sound like a borderline illiterate?
This is up there in terms of the dumbest comments I’ve ever read on here.
What nonsense. Completely irrelevant. Just pure hate.
how can a player be a scam?
Remember Carl Pavano’s Yankees contract?
You can insult us for taking Bryce Harper but attacking the beloved Philly Phanatic is too far
Do you have a mental illness as well? Let’s be friends. Want to hang out this Saturday around 3:46 PM? We can eat glue together. Let me know Cobra bro..
I’m one of your three up votes below. You and I are friends.
In that case, carry on, ol’ chap.
What exactly are you talking about? The Phillies have not scratched the surface of the amount of money they can spend. They just shed over $18 million of deadweight. Having Bryce Harper and Wheeler somehow would be negative?
Tee hee hee! Just don’t do the Phillie Phanatic like that!
At a certain point it just makes more sense to sign Stradburg.
I agree. It all makes sense now though. The Phillies had to be the team “stupid money” enough to already offer Wheeler over $100 mill.
You may as well say that for the other 10 teams
Olney contradicted his first tweet and added the Reds and others
that’s not contradicting, its adding more information
This is why there are no reports of the Phillies meeting with Rendon and Gerrit Cole because they’re not buying anyone. Just more spare parts to surround Bryce’s headband.
Another Phillies scam.
theyre scams if they dont sign the top FA every offseason? seems a bit hard, dont you think?
Nope. The Phillies have the same money as the Red Sox. The Phillies have never approached John Henry’s spending. Won the WS with the highest payroll while paying Panda $95 million to play for the Giants and Rusney Castillo $11 million per year to star in triple-A along with that Cardinals guy, anyone remember him?
The Phillies are filthy rich. Always have been.
Rendon wouldnt come to Philly even if the Phillies offered the most money to him. He knows that would probably leave a bad taste in the mouth’s of National fans to take a huge sum of money to go to a divisional rival. Hes either re-upping with the Nationals or going home to Texas.
Same as Cole. Cole wants to play for the Dodgers, Angels, Padres or his childhood favorite team- the Yankees. The Phillies would have to pay 300mil for Cole to even consider coming here.
You cannot be serious with these comments. I don’t know what Phillies ownership did to you that you are so disgruntled. Were you like a community relations intern that didnt get hired after your internship or something?
The Phillies will add Wheeler, Hamels, Didi, a stop-gap to Bohm like Todd Frazier and maybe a few bounceback relievers with closing experience to compete with Vince Velasquez for the closer’s role when they convert him to the ‘pen this spring.
Wouldnt be surprised if a trade is in the works with Segura, Nick Williams and possibly Herrera being shipped out for an adequate CF. If these moves comes to fruition, I’d be more than happy with that as our off-season.
Seriously though, why the hate? I’m curious. You remind me a poster named Casey something that used to publish this same nonsense.
No offense, but comments like Rendon doesn’t want to come to so-and-so…it’s just nonsense. People said the same about Harper and Machado. No one knowa where these guy want to play. Saying otherwise is just gossip.
I agree with you, I do. But Rendon is a loyal family man from all indications we’ve received from the media. That would lead me to believe he’s either going to stay with the only team he’s known, where he just won a world championship or- go to Texas where he can be closer to his family and be a hometown hero and the face of a franchise in their inaugural season in a new stadium.
Cole will go where the money is. He proved that when he put his Boras Co hat on 30 minutes after the WS ended. However, in my opinion, he would take $260mil from the Angels, Dodgers or Yankees over 300mil from the Phillies, Twins, Reds, White Sox or Blue Jays.
Again, this is just the opinion Ive formed from reading what I have from all the various articles/sources that have been put out there in the past month.
You hire Scott Boras to get paid.
Tell that to Dallas Keuchel
This has to be up there with the most ridiculous comment out there. So if they don’t spend $200-300 million every off season they’re cheap? Man people like you are tone deaf to how 90% of teams have to operate.
Bryce Harper was one of my favorite players and somehow John Middleton is turning him into someone who I hate the sight of.
Nice going Mr. Felony Fraud.
Can the moderators ban this nitwit?
I’ll cite them in my manifesto and you can read it on Kiwifarms where I’m a star.
How about you just quietly STFU?
Thanks for warning me about going to kiwifarms…now I know never to check it out.
shutup already king cobracrap
How is Middleton a fraud? I don’t think there’s an owner in the entire league that’s more dedicated to put a winning team on the field and satisfy the fan base.
There is something wrong with you.
When Middleton signs Rendon and Gerrit Cole you’ll be right.
Zack Wheeler means I’m spot on.
Are you by any chance Casey’s Partner?
I wondered if he might be the dreaded x.a.b.i.a.l but alas, not enough parenthesis to be that clown.
I like Wheeler for the White Sox, but anything more than $25MM per year is ridiculous. Let the desperate Phillies have him if that’s the case. The Sox should be pursuing Cole or Strasburg anyway. Ryu is probably better than Wheeler, and MadBum has more pedigree.
This is an easy walk away. Those other SPs can enjoy their own uptick in value as Wheeler will help set the FA market to a high. CWS will likely trade for a pitcher (I always thought the smart move) instead of overpaying in some crazy-town bidding war and surrendering an important draft pick like teams in win-now mode are forced to do.
Go get em Phils, 5/120 screw it!
Zack Wheeler is a five year deal for $75 million.
Crap.
If the Phillies keep making the moves they are, the braves gonna have to start making bigger moves sooner than later. I said last season that the Phillies were building an elite team. They were quite there but pretty close. This offseason, if they keep trending as rumors project… they could be a scary team
The Braves can roll right by the Phillies again. The problem is they’ll be gone in the 1st round again. They need Cole and Strasburg and they have the money for them.
Ted Turner would sign them.
You do bring up an interesting point. I don’t think they absolutely need a cole or Strasburg…. but they do legitimately have the money to make a move like that and not cripple their future. Most fans don’t understand that. They think a move like that would hurt us forever…. it won’t… I think if they got Bum and Dallas/Wheeler, that this rotation would be pretty strong. That’s me purely wishing, not saying the Braves will do it
They’ll be gone in the first round again with your low rent moves.
What…? PHI spent $500MM last offseason and look where they ended up. Sure, they”ll eventually strike gold if they dig far enough, but the risk is they’ll be in a hole too deep to get themselves out of. Getting Cutch back and changing Kapler for Girardi are already good moves. They must address the ‘pen, eventually, like many NL East foes – and there’s limited FA pieces to do that with.
The Phillies finished where they belong. That’s a reflection of their true talent and their farm is empty.
Sign Rendon and Gerrit Cole or sell hard and reboot the rebuild. They are unwatchable as presently constructed.
Because he’s pitched for the Mets in a rotation that includes DeGrom, Thor, Matz and formerly Harvey, you have to wonder if he will be more DeGrom or more Harvey. His stuff is certainly top shelf but I have found his command to be inconsistent. If he matures into his stuff he will be an excellent pitcher for awhile. It’s still a risk and a lot of money but good for him.
If you are going to put up 150 for Wheeler, you might as well shoot for the moon and go for Cole or Strasburg.
Wheeler’s price is being inflated by teams who don’t want or cant afford the top two guys, but see him as a clear third-place option, which he really isn’t given his injury history.
“Can’t afford” and “Don’t want to pay” are not the same thing.
Every team can afford to pay Cole $35 million per year. The owners like putting that money in their bank account. The Pirates could pay Cole $40 million per year and Nutting could still put over ten million in his account in a losing season.
clearly you dont get the point. teams dont base their payrolls on what they can “afford.”
You were born with your knee bent to power.
I don’t bend the knee.
????
Maybe get back in your meds
He’s proven healthy the last two years with solid numbers across the board. It’s what the market dictates. Pitching costs money. Every team wants it
I am sure the Phillies will be in on Cole and Strasburg. Signing Wheeler doesn’t eliminate them from signing other pitchers. But Cole and Strasburg are going to get huge deals. Phils need like 3 pitchers. Get Wheeler and more.
The Angels need three pitchers.
The Phillies need a stud to pair with Nola.
Wheeler’s price is being inflated probably because Cole will be suspended.
Wheeler is underrated and 29 years old. I don’t get the hate. He’d be a very solid #2. Phils need to get at least 2 quality pitchers, not just 1. So I’d love to see them land Wheeler, Hamels and someone else.
Wheeler is a GIMP.
there is a blatant injury concern and it seems he’s getting paid 1-2 money when he was only a 1-2 caliber pitcher for a half a year. i think he has value, but anything beyond 20 a year or 100 total is questionable.
He has ace potential. He could be the next DeGrom or he could simply be a solid #2. I get that he’s not Gerrit Cole, but he’s going to cost less than him. The injury concern is legit, but essentially he had Tommy John surgery in 2015. In 2017 he was shut down due to arm stress, but it was almost precautionary measure since the Mets were out of it. I don’t see the injuries as a huge deal, but it is a very valid concern. Phillies need a lot of pitching help. Wheeler fits. There’s risk, but there’s also potential to sign a 29 year old ace.
Zack Wheeler is Jake Arrieta on the big fat contract Arrieta tried to get.
Zack Wheeler is Yu Darvish.
I think the risk is minimized considering he already had TJS. He doesnt have the mileage on his arm that some of the other FA’s do. I’m all for Wheeler as long as it’s under $25mil per year. Anything more than 5/125 is def an overpay but 5/110 or 5/120 seems reasonable.
Wheeler is younger, better and not on the decline, but otherwise the same.
Wheeler has a blown out shoulder!
TJ and a blown out shoulder.
GIMP
I would really like to see him go to the White Sox. Makes the team look like a serious contender.
just sign Stras at this point. probably wolnt cost terribly more and is significantly better than Wheeler.
If a Wheeler already has at least 100M on the table it’s safe to say that figure probably ends in the 110-120M range. What could Strasburg demand then? 180-190M? Then what about Cole…could he get 225M?
I’d give Cole nine years at $35 million per to get him signed today and never regret it.
Nolan Ryan/A.J. Burnett arm.
Magic.
Strasburg is a GIMP.
If I were a GM, 6/220 or 7/250 would be my absolute max for Cole.
Then you’ll be the loser.
It’s easy to be the loser every winter and tell your fans you “tried”.
Takes a pair to be the guy who pays.
9 years 315 million for a pitcher. Thank goodness you’re not a GM
Cole is going to take the mound and deliver.
Wheeler….past is prologue.
Same age, twice as many innings on Strasburg’s arm with an injury history as well
Wheeler will be cheaper and give the Phillies flexibility to fill out the rest of the roster. They still need a 3B, 2B, CF, another starter and a few bullpen pieces.
They can’t be in play for Cole or Strasburg with what they need
The Phillies have all the flexibility in MLB if John Middleton stops stealing the fans money.
It’s called a luxury tax
Stras’ injury history is much scarier than Wheeler’s.
Does Bryce Harper approve of this? I didn’t know he and Wheeler were friends.
Will they wear the same headband when Zack takes the mound?
If he takes the mound. Might miss three of the five years.
Seems like a lot of money for someone whose career ERA+ is exactly 100. and, while he had a pretty decent 2019, his ERA thru the end of August was 4.41, and didn’t have a single sub-4.00 month until September.
Like others have said, how high does he go until you have to start thinking about Strasburg or Cole?
Seems like?
This is the kind of stupid where the persons involved should be sitting on a bench feeding pigeons.
Sitting on a bench feeding season ticket holders?
Two of the big signings in the 07-11 run were of the for a “few dollars more” variety. Neither worked out…Find the price that you’re willing to pay, negotiate until the bidding exceeds it, and then move on. Of course, Warren Buffett is sitting on 128 billion he can’t get companies to take ….
The Phillies run should have begun three years earlier.
Same thing all over again. Watch Nola, Harper and Realmuto waste prime years.
I really, really, REALLY, don’t want the Phillies to sign him
Im telling ya, this is the Nathan Evaldi/Joe Kelly of this market. Stay the hell away from a 90-100 million dollar deal with this guy.
Just sign Bum if you want pitching, or go all out for Stras/Cole
Hardly
Why not? Phillies are good at giving out ridiculously overpriced contracts. Might as well add another one.
One of the richest teams in MLB signed Face of MLB Bryce Harper but they’re running their roster like they’re the Pirates.
Time for Buster to start some “Phillies need to trade Bryce Harper!” podcasts.
Face of MLB is certainly not Harper. Its Trout.
The Phillies and Harper had more face time on MLB dot com last year than anyone else.
Cite sources please.
That may be true, as he was a topical story, as Trout continued getting better and solidifying himself as quite possibly the best MLB player ever, when it’s all said and done.
Who cares if MLB cashes in on it?
As a Braves fan, I support this. Let them waste a ridiculous amount of money on a mediocre pitcher. That’s usually something the Braves normally would do themselves.
Bum > Wheeler.
Zach Wheeler is hardly mediocre
Hes not mediocre but he aint worth 100 million either.
He’s an average pitcher, perhaps slightly above average, but definitely not worth crippling your team at $100 million dollars over the next 5 years. You could find his production at a fraction of that cost.
The Phillies did their rebuild from the beginning of Ryan Howard’s $25 million per year extension all the way through it and the Phillies made a fortune.
The Phillies could rebuild for the next twelve years of Harper’s contract tanking for the pick and make more money than any other MLB team.
$25 million per year, just like Howard.
When are they gonna stop getting middle of the rotation guys and make a splash?
Anthony Rendon and Gerrit Cole or don’t bother coming north from Clearwater.
Did everyone else miss that the Angels have “shown real interest“ in Zack Wheeler? I think it’s a foregone conclusion that they’re going to go after Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg as their one, but it appears to me that they’re also going after a tier two for their rotation. That’s relatively new information.
I’m pretty sure MLB trade rumors and other analysts had them going after more of the tier 3 type starters, like Porcello after Cole or Stras.
I can only hope!
I honestly doubt it fanatic. We all know Cole is #1 on their list and I think Eppler is smart enough to pass on a second pitcher with a QO attached. “Billy, this is not the droid you are looking for, move along…”
My guess for Angel targets would be Cole + an innings eater like Porcello. And perhaps even a trade for a guy like Jon Gray (Rockies). I think last year showed them you can never enough starting pitching. This is especially true if reports are correct that Shohei will only pitch once a week.
I think that Bumgarner would be the better fit for them. If they get to the postseason they need the guy that has done it before; several times. This team has to win the World Series, not just make the playoffs. Wheeler isn’t the guy to take a team to the World Series and win it.Obviously Cole or Strasburg would be better signings than Bumgarner but I am comparing the second tier of FA pitchers.
Bumgarner is an extreme fly ball pitcher which is fine in a park like SF, but not at Citizens Bank. Go look at his home/road splits the last 2 years.
The man had on good year and part of another. He has not shown enough to get more than a 4yr 70mil deal especially with his TJ surgery.
If I were to go with an injury concern #3 that will be my #2, I’d go with Ryu. Cost less. No draft compensation. Wheeler’s going to be on the DL or IL or IR or whatever they want to call it now for 1/2 the contract he gets.
Dude! The Phillies aren’t getting Cole, Stras, or Rendon! They will overpay for Wheeler probably 5/$125mil then trade for whatever else they need. I’m not going to knock them either way because, IMHO, most players are seriously over paid by the time their contracts are over anyway. Until clubs stop controlling the players’ best years, they will all be over paid for mediocre performance. This is why MLB can’t get anyone that cares about free agency anymore. It takes three months for players to sign and then they have their money and waste away in mediocrity for the duration of the contract.
Now as far as Harper goes, MLB may want Harper to be their poster boy but Trout is the man! Baseball fans aren’t as easy to fool as other sports are. NFL and NBA can fool whomever with just one player but not MLB fans! Too smart to fall for false hype! I just hate to see Trout waste away in Anaheim and never get a ring. Would’ve loved to see him hit free agency and blow the figure he “settled” for out the water and go to a legitimately contending team. At any rate, pay attention and know your stuff before posting childish jabs on a team you don’t like. It can really put whatever valid context you may have in a negative light.
I am sorry. While I don’t begrudge Wheeler the money what exactly has he done production wise to get that kind of money. I just don’t see it.
It’s interesting that Bumgarner and Wheeler were both drafted out of high school as first-rounders by the Giants, and here they are as free agents in the same year.
Bumgarner is less than a year older, has three World Series rings and the most epic pitching performance any of us have ever seen (2014 World Series). Wheeler has pitched one very good season and a couple other decent seasons thus far. Bum has had two freak injuries, but otherwise has proven durable. Wheeler has had Tommy John surgery, as well as a flexor strain and a stress reaction in his right arm.
Yet Wheeler is the hot commodity.
Sure, there’s the argument that Bumgarner has thrown a lot more innings, but he’s only 30. His innings count is relative. And he’s pitched a lot more because Wheeler took longer to reach the Majors and his arm keeps breaking.
100-110 million sounds a lot better than 225-250 for Cole. They can sign Wheeler, and Hamels and Didi, and move Herrera for a BP arm. Also give up some prospects for Hader. Boom!