Shortly after being labeled as ‘in the race’ to land the services of 29-year old pitcher Zach Wheeler, it appears as though the Phillies are set to complete the signing.
Wheeler struggled in the early stags of 2019, missing time due to a right shoulder injury, but he bounced back in an exceptional way. Going 5-2 with a 2.83 ERA in 12-starts after the All-Star break, Wheeler showed he could put together a healthy run, silencing the doubters who rightly labeled him as a great talent who always seemed to be chained back by injuries.
In 29 starts last year, Wheeler went 12-7 with 3.31 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP, including going 9-1 with a 1.68 ERA in second-half appearances.
Regarded as the ‘best of the rest’ in this year’s free-agent pool, Wheeler will provide the Phillies with some reliability behind Aaron Nola, with the flexibility to take some weight off of Wheeler’s shoulders and reducing the risk to injury. Believe it or not, he posted a career-high 195 inning season, further showing his durability.
The Phillies needed to add some arms into their starting rotation, and you won’t find many with an upside as high as Wheeler, so long as he can continue to stay healthy.
Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
