Phillies working on major extension before they get to Bryce Harper

The Philadelphia Phillies once again fell short of winning the World Series for the third time in their franchise's history, blowing a 3-2 National League Championship Series lead to the Arizona Diamondbacks. This offseason, the Phillies may not have made big additions, but they did make a huge retention.

Philadelphia avoided losing their ace in what was a top-heavy starting pitching market, signing Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million contract extension. Since then, there has been talk that outfielder Bryce Harper is open to extending his current contract to continue spending his career in Philadelphia into his 40s. There is now a report of another name the Phillies are looking to keep around for the foreseeable future.

According to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, the Phillies' No. 1 priority currently is to sign starting pitcher Zack Wheeler to a contract extension.

Phillies' 'No. 1 priority' is to sign Zack Wheeler to contract extension

The Phillies signed Wheeler after the 2019 season away from the rival New York Mets to a five-year, $118 million contract. Wheeler had been a solid addition to the Phillies, as he never had an ERA under 3.00 in three of his four years with the team.

In 2021, Wheeler made it to the All-Star Game for the first time of his career in 2021 and finished second for the NL Cy Young Award. That season, Wheeler led the league with 247 strikeouts, three complete games, and two shutouts in 849 batters faced.

This past season, Wheeler posted a 3.61 ERA, a 1.078 WHIP, a 13-6 win-loss record, 212 strikeouts, and 39 walks in 192.0 innings.

Wheeler is under contract for the 2024 season before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

With the team having lofty expectations in recent years, retaining key players is paramount. Wheeler certainly fits the bill, but it will remain to be seen if the two sides can reach an agreement this offseason or during the 2024 campaign.