Zack Wheeler has reached an agreement on a three-year, $126 million extension with the Philadelphia Phillies, according to sources, bypassing the possibility that the ace pitcher will become a free agent in the fall.
An announcement by the Phillies is expected Monday. With a salary of $42 million, Wheeler's deal is the most lucrative extension in baseball history in terms of average annual value.
It also is in the neighborhood of the richest salaries for pitchers. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander signed multiyear deals as free agents with the New York Mets that averaged $43.3 million.
Wheeler, who is entering the final season of a five-year, $118 million contract, has had great success with the Phillies, a team that has doled out big money for stars in recent seasons — Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Aaron Nola and others.