Zack Wheeler Says He's in 'Early' Phillies Contract Extension Talks: 'I Love It Here'

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler said he and the team are in contract negotiations regarding an extension.

"Hopefully it does," Wheeler told reporters of the deal happening. "I love it here. We're happy here."

Wheeler will make $23.5 million this season in the final year of his contract. He spent the previous four seasons with the Phillies after signing a five-year, $118 million contract in free agency.

The 33-year-old played his first five seasons with the New York Mets.

The 2023 season was Wheeler's worst in Philadelphia but still resulted in him finishing sixth in the NL Cy Young race. He went 13-6 with a 3.61 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, striking out 212 batters in 192 innings pitched.

Wheeler, a 2009 first-round pick who was inconsistent early in his career, said he was able to turn around his career thanks to improving his command after 2015 Tommy John surgery.

"I think there's a few different things," Wheeler told reporters. "Probably first and foremost, is being consistent mechanically. I changed my arm path when I came back from Tommy John surgery [in March of 2015]. It took me a while — just because you've thrown for so long a certain way — to really get ahold of it and make it work every single pitch.

"Once I did that, my command got a lot better, night and day. That definitely helped, because I always had the velo, just didn't have the best command consistently."

The Phillies have not been shy about retaining their talent, inking Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million contract this offseason.