Former Mets GM has egg on his face after Zack Wheeler's record extension

Zack Wheeler signed a contract extension with the Philadelphia Phillies that will keep him in the city of brotherly love until his late-30's. However, before Wheeler turned into the type of pitcher well-deserving of a record contract in average annual value, he was a New York Met.

Wheeler signed his initial five-year, $118 million contract with the Phillies in 2019. The Mets willingly let him walk, and then-GM Brodie Van Wagenen made some rather rude comments about Wheeler on his way out the door.

"Our health and performance department, our coaches all contributed and helped him parlay two good half-seasons over the last five years into a $118 million. I'm proud of what our group was able to help him accomplish. I'm happy he was rewarded for it. Players deserve to be rewarded when they perform well. More than anything else, I'm thrilled with the pitching staff we have," Van Wagenen said.

Brodie Van Wagenen's comments about Zack Wheeler come back to haunt Mets

If you think that's a little harsh, you wouldn't be alone. Van Wagenen's commentary wasn't received well by Wheeler of the Phillies, who have since made him eat his words. Wheeler noted that he heard "crickets" from the Mets prior to signing with their biggest rival.

It should be noted that Van Wagenen is no longer the Mets GM. That job belongs to David Stearns, and before him Billy Eppler. The Mets vastly underestimated Wheeler, who was available for the taking. Since 2019, New York has failed to live up to expectations while the Phillies won a pennant with Wheeler and Aaron Nola leading the way.

Wheeler was initially acquired by the Mets in the trade which sent Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants. While Wheeler had a slow start to his career in 2015 and 2016 due to injuries, he set then-career highs with New York in his final season in 2019, pitching 195.1 innings with 195 strikeouts. He made 31 starts, his most in a single season since 2014.

Just four years after Van Wagenen's comments, and it's clear who won the breakup. Hint: It's not the Mets.