Former New York Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler had some harsh words to say about how the team handled his situation in free agency.
Former New York Mets and current Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler had some harsh words to say about his former team, via Greg Joyce of the New York Post.
Wheeler didn’t hear from the Mets upon becoming a free agent. “It was basically just crickets… it’s them. It’s how they roll.”
Apparently, Wheeler was interested in at least having talks with the Mets about a potential future in Flushing, but it seems as though the team was not interested.
“Everything was kind of jumpy because certain people would want something, others wouldn’t. I don’t think everyone was on the same page.”
Wheeler is clearly very critical of the organizational structure of the Mets and noticed that miscommunication was the norm in how the team conducted business. He noted that this had been a recurring issue all along.
In five years with the Mets, Wheeler posted a 3.77 ERA, 1.294 WHIP, 100 ERA+, and 3.71 FIP. He had an especially good year in 2018, which led to his name being heard much more often in conversations about dominant starting pitchers in the league. During a very disappointing season for the team, Wheeler posted a career-best 3.31 ERA, 1.124 WHIP, 112 ERA+, and 3.25 WHIP in 182.1 IP.
The Mets are known for being a team that is constantly surrounded by drama, and this is just the latest example. Wheeler ended up signing a five-year, $118-million contract with the Phillies.
It is extremely unlikely that the Mets, who are known for their less-than-big-spending ways, would have offered Wheeler a deal in that ballpark, but the fact that they allegedly did not even try to have a conversation with him about a potential deal is disturbing.
It must be sad for Mets fans to see that their pitcher was interested in staying and is disturbed by how his time in Flushing ended.
