Zack Wheeler will receive the highest average annual value of any MLB contract deal ever when the Philadelphia Phillies and the ace agree to a three-year, $126 million extension.
Although the arrangement extends the contract of the Phillies’ starting pitching staff through 2028, it also extends the payroll that was previously committed to long-term agreements for players such as Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, and others. Zachary Rotman of FanSided therefore projects that it will also require the team to part ways with Whit Merrifield, a three-time All Star that they signed this offseason for $8 million on a one-year contract that includes a 2025 club option.
“Many teams would love to have Merrifield on the bench, but will Philadelphia really exercise its $8 million club option when Wheeler is expected to earn so much in 2024?” Rotman enquired. “Maybe if he has a huge year, but with all the money they already have on their books, it’s difficult to justify paying a bench player that much money. The Phillies seem more likely to try to locate a less expensive solution.
For the Philadelphia Phillies, losing Whit Merrifield would mean losing more than just a bench option.
The Phillies made a wise move in adding Merrifield to their roster as a backup in case any of the team’s main players go hurt, especially considering how thin their outfield depth is.
“Unless there are a few injuries, Merrifield won’t be a regular player for this Phillies team, but his versatility will be useful as a utility man off the bench,” Rotman said. “He was an All-Star with the Blue Jays just this past season. Even if his totals weren’t great, through July he was batting at a.303 clip with an extremely respectable.781 OPS.
Merrifield has averaged.284/.330/.420 in eight big-league seasons, including All-Star seasons in 2019 and 2021. He has started 319 games in the outfield, mostly in right field, and 665 games at second base.
He may be more than just a bench player in 2024 based on the $8 million contract he signed, especially considering that he probably had the opportunity to sign a free agent contract and play a starting position for a different team.
NBC Sports reports that Merrifield’s salary “may suggest he could be more than just a backup, perhaps playing a super-utility role that starts at second base and corner outfield.”
However, the Phillies may have priced themselves out of that kind of super-utility luxury for 2025 with Wheeler’s record-breaking agreement.
Analyzing the Phillies’ Payroll for 2025 and Upward
“The Phillies will commit roughly $216 million toward their 2025 payroll when the Wheeler extension kicks in, with $211 (million) of that going to nine players: Wheeler, (Aaron) Nola, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Taijuan Walker, and Jose Alvarado,” according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
management chairman John Middleton hinted that the management was holding onto some “powder” and payroll space in anticipation of a possible trade deadline acquisition before approving Wheeler’s deal.
Considering Wheeler’s salary and the management’s desire to sign a big-name player before the season ends, Merrifield might decide not to rejoin the squad.
Rotman continued, “The Wheeler extension may also require the team to let go of relievers Matt Strahm and Seranthony Dominguez in addition to Merrifield.” Notably, pitcher Ranger Suarez, Realmuto, and Schwarber are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in 2026.
