It depends on the long-term budget. I would definitely take on Wheeler, but I’d want to make sure Jerry is willing to push this thing up to the $180M to $200M range if I’m taking on Harper as well.
No one was willing to pay Wheeler’s current contact last year except us and the Phillies, why are teams suddenly chomping at the bit to give up talent and absorb that contract in whole in the middle of an economic crisis?
That’s just a huge salary commitment that goes on for way too long. No doubt he’d be awesome for our window, but paying that contract in the second half of this decade could suck.
For the record, Wheeler has 4 years and $96.5M left on his deal, so effectively a $24.1M AAV.
Given Harper’s no trade clause and McCutcheon being unreadable, Wheeler is without question the one piece they could move to quickly free up some payroll.
The best part is trading two free agents we signed just last offseason who both produced and helped lead us to the playoffs for the first time in over a decade and then thinking that Realmuto is actually going to sign with us.
100% agree. In theory he shouldn’t be worth much more than what he’s getting paid short unless his performance profile has changed substantially (which I’d argue it hasn’t). To me, he’s the ideal target because his contract is just big enough where it’s hard for the Phillies to justify a blue chipper being included in return, unlike with Snell or Gray.
I agree for the most part, but the Phillies seem to be crying poor and the article does speculate the return would be “measured”. If I can get him at a reasonable price, I’d be 100% all over this. If the Phillies are looking for premium young talent on top of his contract then I’d look elsewhere.
Very true and the Twitter “insiders” claim that Heuer was as good as gone at the deadline before some deal fell through. Whether true or not, I could definitely see the Sox dealing him or Foster as part of a package for a starter (would make sense in a Gray trade) and then replacing via free agency.