Phillies sign starting pitcher Zack Wheeler to five-year, $118 million contract!

The righty starter Zack Wheeler is staying in the NL East. Read on…

Right-hander Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a five-year deal worth more than $100 million, sources tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 4, 2019

CelebNSports247.com reports the Philadelphia Phillies have signed free-agent starting pitcher Zack Wheeler to a five-year deal worth $118 million, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Wheeler, 29, was one of the better starters on the market this offseason. He has been worth almost nine wins over the past two seasons, per Fangraphs, pitching in 195 1/3 innings and a 3.96 ERA in 2019. Wheeler pitched to a 3.77 ERA (3.71 FIP) with a 1.294 WHIP. While his injury issues seem to be in the rear-view mirror, some inconsistencies on the rubber have hurt his overall production.

He was drafted by the Giants, was traded to the Mets in 2011 for outfielder Carlos Beltran, and he’s made New York his home since. In five big-league seasons with the Mets. Zack’s fastball averaged nearly 97 mph in 2019, was considered one of the top second-tier starters on the free-agent market behind top-end arms Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg.

Now Wheeler has moved on to the Philadelphia Phillies, which comes after the signing of veteran lefty Cole Hamels and division-rival agreed on a one-year, $18 million deal with the Braves.

Wheeler will pair alongside Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta as the top three in Philadelphia’s rotation, surely aiding new manager Joe Girardi in his debut season as Phillies manager.