Sports
Zack Wheeler Rumors: Reds Expressing Interest in Former Mets Pitcher
John Minchillo/Associated PressThe Cincinnati Reds are among the teams interested in free-agent pitcher Zack Wheeler, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.Since debuting in 2013, Wheeler has spent his entire MLB career with the New York Mets.The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2016 but has proved to be fairly durable in recent years. He has…
John Minchillo/Associated Press
The Cincinnati Reds are among the teams interested in free-agent pitcher Zack Wheeler, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Since debuting in 2013, Wheeler has spent his entire MLB career with the New York Mets.
The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2016 but has proved to be fairly durable in recent years. He has averaged 30 starts over the past two seasons, throwing a career-high 195.1 innings in 2019.
Wheeler struggled early on this past season before missing nearly three weeks because of a right shoulder impingement in July. When he returned, he proved he was fully healthy by going 5-2 with a 2.83 ERA in 12 starts after the All-Star break.
Overall in 2019, the 29-year-old went 11-8 with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.259 WHIP, striking out a career-high 195 batters. That comes after he went 9-1 with a 1.68 ERA in 11 second-half starts in 2018.
Wheeler's performance the past two seasons has helped put to rest some of the concerns surrounding his health as free agency approached. As a result, he will be one of the top arms on the market this winter, joining the likes of 2019 American League Cy Young runner-up Gerrit Cole and 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg.
Andy Martino of SNY previously reported the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox both also have interest in the ex-Met.
The Reds have long held interest in Wheeler. ESPN's Buster Olney reported prior to the 2015 trade deadline they were willing to deal then-two-time All-Star Jay Bruce for the pitcher. They wound up holding on to Bruce for one more year before ultimately trading him to the Mets for second baseman Dilson Herrera.
Cincinnati has made a number of moves to bolster its rotation over the past year. As a result, it enters the offseason with an expected rotation of 2019 All-Stars Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray, 2018 All-Star Trevor Bauer and right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (who went 9-9 with a 3.89 ERA in 2019).
The Reds are not expected to re-sign left-hander Alex Wood, who made just seven starts in an injury-plagued year.
Attracting a free-agent pitcher to Great American Ball Park is no easy task. However, Reds president Dick Williams told the Cincinnati Enquirer‘s Bobby Nightengale last month that the club will be active this offseason and expects its payroll to increase in 2020.
Cincinnati has not made the playoffs since 2013, and its 75 wins in 2019 were its most in the last five seasons.
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