Zack Wheeler floats potential retirement about-face in major Phillies surprise
Hold off on the retirement tour for now.
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler isn’t ruling out potentially continuing his career beyond 2027 after previously stating he plans to retire when his contract expires, according to USA Today.
“Never say never,” Wheeler told the outlet Tuesday night. “We’ll see. It’ll probably depend on what happens next year. It’s something to think about for sure.”
Wheeler said last June that the 2027 season would be his last, with the ex-Met planning to exit the sport once his three-year, $126 million contract expired.
The righty is one the sport’s premier pitchers but said his success would not factor into his decision.
Wheeler has finished inside the top 10 in the NL Cy Young voting in each of the last three seasons and seems set for a fourth straight placement this season.
He’s 10-2 with a 2.16 ERA after taking a hard-luck loss Tuesday in the 2-1 setback to the Dodgers in which he struck out nine batters in seven innings.
“Doesn’t matter. No,” Wheeler told The Athletic last year. “It’ll be easy to walk away.”
Wheeler will be 37 after his contract runs out and acknowledged to USA Today that having young children — he and wife Dominique have four children all ages 6 or younger — weighs on him.
Phillies executives, though, told the publication they expect Wheeler will change his tune.
“It’s tough,” Wheeler told USA Today about the factors involved in such a decision. “My kids are growing up and they’re at that age where it’s important to have both parents around. I’m going to be there for that and see them grow and be successful in life. So, we’ll see.”
It’s possible with a few more years of excellence he could bolster a Hall of Fame argument.
That Wheeler is even pitching at such an elite level is a credit to the veteran considering he’s battling back from thoracic outlet surgery, which can kill careers.
Wheeler is indeed pitching like an All-Star, even if MLB did not honor him this year in a controversial decision that left the flamethrower irked.
He ultimately turned down MLB’s last-minute offer to be honored in his home park.
“The Hall of Fame would be life-changing, you know, something I don’t take lightly,” Wheeler told USA Today. “It’s definitely something that everybody shoots for coming into pro baseball, even as a kid. You want your face and name on that plaque. It’s there forever.
“But at the same time, I’m human. I’m a family man. So, if that time calls, then it is what it is.”
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