It is devastating to hear that a major Philadelphia Phillies player plans to end their contract if the head coach lives.
Zack Wheeler’s $126 million, three-year contract extension with the Phillies does not begin until 2025, so it will not affect their payroll in 2024. However, it is worthwhile to look ahead one year to the current situation, as Wheeler and Aaron Nola inked deals that will pay them a combined $66.6 million in the upcoming season.
Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations, stated on Monday, “As you know, we have a high payroll.” “There are challenges because there are different parameters, but we’ll take those challenges when we know we can start off at the top of the rotation with Wheeler and Nola.”
The Phillies pay Wheeler $118 million for the last season of his five-year contract. His average yearly pay is $23.6 million, which is significantly less than the $42 million AAV that his agreement will bring about next year.
This season, the Phillies have a payroll of about $246 million, which is a franchise record. The amount that is applicable to MLB’s luxury tax, also known as the competitive balance tax, is around $262 million.
There are three further levels with rising fines over $257 million, $277 million, and $297 million, in addition to the $237 million luxury tax threshold.
The Phillies last season paid a $6.98 million penalty after going over the tax by almost $23 million. Since it was their second year in a row that they had overpaid, they were subject to a 30 percent penalty on all overages instead of the initial 20 percent tax.
Middleton and Wheeler talk about how the $126 million extension came together.
A team faces a penalty of 50% for each dollar over the threshold if they have been over the tax for three or more seasons in a row. Teams’ luxury tax amounts are determined at the end of the season, and given the money they have committed to this team, it is highly unlikely that the Phillies will not surpass it in 2024 unless they collapse and offload a large number of players by the trade deadline.
Dombrowski stated, “We set those parameters on an annual basis.” “We also have a lot of support from our wonderful fans who enter the grounds. This helps us drive income, which is a constant issue. There’s a limit to our capabilities. It’s not boundless. However, after we see how our season develops at the end of the year, I believe we’ll have more questions about those.
The payroll of the Phillies increased by around $35 million in 2021–2022, $11 million in 2022–2023, and an additional $7 million in 2023–2024.
They have brought in veterans like Craig Kimbrel last winter, Michael Lorenzen last summer, and Whit Merrifield this spring, and they have added at every opportunity and kept making final moves even when it seemed like they were done.
Is there still space available for a significant acquisition should the need emerge during or beyond the season?
According to managing partner John Middleton, “I think there’s a way to do it if it becomes a necessity” on Monday. “However, he might be the star we add if (Andrew) Painter, (Mick) Abel, or (Johan) Rojas suddenly feels at ease at the plate and begins to hit.285 to.300 with excellent defense. I mean, Brandon Marsh might be famous. I believe that (Bryson) Stott is already a celebrity. He’s one of the Gold Glove finalists. I think he should be an All-Star this season. He might be the Gold Glove winner. It is what you require.”
Painter is the only member of the group who will not be included in the Phillies’ 2024 plans as he is still recovering from Tommy John surgery that was done in July. It won’t be until 2025 that he pitches in a competitive league, unless he manages to log some innings in the Arizona Fall League.
Behind Painter as the Phillies’ top prospect, Abel is expected to spend the most of the season at Triple A. His objective is to make it to the majors in 2024, and much of it will depend on his control.
The Phillies will commit roughly $216 million to their 2025 payroll when the Wheeler extension begins, with $211 going to nine players: Wheeler, Nola, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Taijuan Walker, and Jose Alvarado.
Seranthony Dominguez is another possibility worth $8 million that they possess.
Earning $5.05 million and $5 million, respectively, this season, Ranger Suarez and Gregory Soto will be entering their third and final arbitration years with growing earnings. Alec Bohm’s $4 million first-year arbitration salary is expected to be increased.
Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm’s contracts are set to expire, freeing up $9.7 million, but both players are key members of the squad that might be traded or brought back at a premium.
The Phillies would have roughly $251 million committed to the payroll in 2025 if they were to exercise Dominguez’s option, keep Suarez, Soto, and Bohm at increasing prices, and either keep Strahm and Hoffman or replace them with relievers at a comparable total cost.
That’s without accounting for the fact that they might exercise Merrifield’s second-year option or for any of the smaller arbitration raises that players like Marsh, Edmundo Sosa, Stott, and Cristian Pache would have received.
For this reason, adding young, reasonably priced players to the roster is crucial.
Middleton remarked, “You’ve got to have some really good youngsters coming up.” It is essential to have individuals such as Stott and Bohm, Rojas, Marsh, Abel, Painter, (Griff) McGarry, and (Cristopher) Sanchez grow. You must have that. In my view, that’s kind of the combination you need to have in order to succeed really well in baseball.”
