Phillies' Zack Wheeler sets clear retirement date — and it's coming soon

New York Post

20 hours ago

The torture for Mets fans of lamenting what could've been with Zack Wheeler will end no later than 2027.
The former Met turned rival with the Phillies plans to retire when his contract is up after 2 ½ more seasons, he told The Athletic. The reason is simply to spend more time with his four children.
But will plans change if the Phillies ace keeps pitching like a Cy Young candidate who would be worthy of another big free-agent contract?
'Doesn't matter. No,' Wheeler said. 'It'll be easy to walk away.'
Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler walks to the dugout after leaving the mound during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Friday, May 23, 2025.
AP
Wheeler, 35, will be past his 37th birthday by then, but he only seems to be getting better with age.
He has finished in the top six in National League Cy Young voting three times in the last four years, including second last season.
In six seasons with the Phillies, Wheeler is 65-34 with a 2.93 ERA, including 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA in 13 starts in 2025.
Rarely do athletes in their peak walk away from millions.
'I mean, he can say all he wants,' catcher J.T. Realmuto said. 'I can't imagine him dominating for two more years and hanging them up. He loves it. … I'm holding out hope that he keeps pitching.'
Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch in the top of the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park on June 9, 2025.
Getty Images
Acquired by the Mets as a top prospect in the trade that sent Carlos Beltran to the Giants in 2011, Wheeler left the Mets with hard feelings over the way his negotiation was handled in 2020.
He is 5-5 with a 3.53 ERA in 16 starts against his former team since then.
Wheeler originally signed a five-year, $118 million contract with the Phillies. He signed a three-year, $126 million extension before the 2024 season, which, at that time, gave him the highest average annual value ($42 million) on a contract extension in MLB history.
Wheeler turned out to be the second-best pitcher from the Mets' once-promising rotation that included Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz. But he has been able to stay healthier than deGrom in recent seasons.