Philadelphia Phillies and Zack Wheeler agree to a record-breaking contract extension with the pitcher signing a three-year deal worth $126million

Zack Wheeler is staying in Philadelphia after signing a record-breaking contract extension with the Phillies.

On Monday, the New York Post confirmed that Wheeler, 33, signed a three-year extension worth $126million. The new deal means the pitcher will not be a free agent this fall.

His new contract begins with the 2025 MLB season and keeps him in Philadelphia through 2027.

Wheeler’s new deal, which gives him an average annual salary of $42 million, is also the most lucrative extension in MLB history.

‘This is a first-class organization, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,’ Wheeler said at a press conference on Monday,’ Wheeler said during a press conference on Monday.

Wheeler’s extension keeps him in Philadelphia with teammates Bryce Harper and Trea Turner

Additionally, the extension placed Wheeler with the richest deals signed by a pitcher. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander signed deals with the New York Mets that earned them an average annual salary of $43.3m.

Wheeler is entering the final season of his five-year, $118m contract. With his extension, the Phillies cemented Wheeler with star teammates Bryce Harper and Trea Turner for the foreseeable future. Harper and Turner are signed through 2031 and 2033, respectively.

‘In the postseason when he takes that ball, I can’t think of anyone I want to be there more than Zack,’ Phillies team president Dave Dombrowski said on Monday.

In his four years with the Phillies, Wheeler posted a 3.06 ERA in 101 starts while tallying 675 strikeouts over 629 1/3 innings pitched. He was named an All-Star in 2021 and won the Gold Glove award last season.

Aside from Wheeler, fellow pitcher Aaron Nola signed a seven-year, $172m contract in November.

Wheeler’s deal does not include a formal no-trade clause. However, because he has been in the league for over ten years, Wheeler can veto any trades with his 10-and-5 rights after next season.

In the past two years, the Phillies have reached the World Series and NLCS. With their stars secured, Philadelphia continues to pursue their first title since 2008.