The Phillies have yet to officially announce the addition of Zack Wheeler, though multiple reports have confirmed that the 29-year-old will join the Phillies on a five-year, $118 million deal.
New Phillies skipper Joe Girardi was asked about Wheeler on Thursday in Philadelphia, and while Girardi was only willing to speak in generalities, he did touch on what Wheeler brings to a pitching staff.
"He's a guy that's gonna give you 32 starts, over 200 innings, and be really successful"
- SNY (@SNYtv) December 6, 2019
- Joe Girardi on Zack Wheeler pic.twitter.com/A5N2S9LsSp
"Well I think everyone recognizes the talents that Zack Wheeler has, all 30 clubs," Girardi said. "He's a power pitcher with outstanding breaking stuff. He's a guy that's going to give you 32 starts, over 200 innings, and be really successful.
"So, whoever gets Zack Wheeler is going to be really fortunate," Girardi said with a smile.
The former Met reportedly agreed to a deal with the Phillies on Wednesday, staying in the NL East.
The right-hander pitched to a 3.77 ERA over five seasons with the Mets, though he missed two full years due to injuries.
His best season in Flushing came in 2018, when he recorded a career-best 3.31 ERA, striking out 179 batters in 182.1 innings. He was consistent again in 2019, finishing the year with a 3.96 ERA, but perhaps most importantly, he proved that he could stay healthy.
The Mets seemed prepared to lose Wheeler at some point, as they elected to trade for Marcus Stroman at July's trade deadline, viewing him as a replacement should Wheeler leave.