Report: Wheeler expected to land 5-year deal worth over $100M
Zack Wheeler is expected to cash in this offseason.
The free-agent right-hander has received at least one $100-million offer and will land a five-year deal in excess of that amount, reports The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
Among the teams pursuing Wheeler are the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, and Toronto Blue Jays, Rosenthal adds.
Wheeler is widely viewed as the third-best free-agent starting pitcher available behind Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg following two straight stellar campaigns with the New York Mets.
Wheeler's 2018-19 stats
| YEAR | IP | ERA | FIP | WHIP | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 182.1 | 3.31 | 3.25 | 1.12 | 179 |
| 2019 | 195.1 | 3.96 | 3.48 | 1.26 | 195 |
The 29-year-old, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2015 and has experienced other arm troubles in the past, missed time with shoulder fatigue last July.
When healthy, he's mostly been solid. The hurler who's considered an "analytics darling," according to Rosenthal, owns a 44-38 record with a 3.77 ERA in 749 1/3 innings, including an 8.7 K/9 and 1.29 WHIP.