Zack Wheeler contract details, grade: Phillies pay record price to keep their ace

The Philadelphia Phillies have signed Zack Wheeler to a contract extension, thus ending what would have been a season full of question about the co-ace's future.

Dave Dombrowski will be happy to avoid those questions, as the Phillies just went through a similar situation with Aaron Nola, who ultimately stayed on a lucrative contract extension of his own.

Wheeler has accumulated more WAR than any pitcher in baseball since he signed with the Phillies. His 3.06 ERA with the Phillies ranks ninth among starters with at least 350 innings pitched since 2020, per The Athletic's Matt Gelb ($).

Zack Wheeler contract details with Phillies

Wheeler signed a three-year, $126 million deal with the Phillies which will keep him at Citizens Bank Park through the 2026 season, at least. Wheeler's contract is the highest average annual revenue ever given for an extension, per ESPN's Buster Olney.

Phillies owner John Middleton has proven his commitment to winning with his wallet. After missing on Yoshinobu Yamamoto this offseason -- and making him an offer the Phillies thought he couldn't refuse -- Middleton used at least some of that capital on Wheeler.

Zack Wheeler contract grade, analysis

Phillies contract grade: B

Wheeler's contract seems large, but in the grand scheme of things he'd make far more on the free-agent market. By signing now, Wheeler is actually leaving some money on the table, especially if there is more certainty with local TV contracts next winter.

Still, Wheeler is convinced that Philadelphia gives him the best chance to win. Record-setting money is never a bad thing, especially for a pitcher the Mets once let walk to a rival without much of a fight.

The Phillies didn't have much of a choice here, either. Once Yamamoto signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia lost their Wheeler backup plan. Barring a late Blake Snell charge, keeping Wheeler on a shorter-term contract is ideal, as three years from now he'll be 36 years old.