After Wheeler's extension, is Harper next?

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Bryce Harper said last month that he wants to finish his career with the Phillies, which is why he wants to sign a contract extension that takes him into his 40s.

He understood, however, that the Phillies had more pressing matters.

¡°Understanding that Wheels [Zack Wheeler] is a big one for us right now,¡± Harper said. ¡°But you know, contract negotiations [happen] throughout the season and things like that. So we'll see what [agent Scott Boras] and [president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski] can come up with.¡±

Wheeler signed a three-year, $126 million contract extension on Monday, keeping him in Philadelphia through 2027. In between questions about how the deal happened and why it works for both parties, there were questions about the future. Specifically, could a contract extension for Harper be next? And how does Wheeler¡¯s deal impact future payroll and roster construction?

Let¡¯s start with Harper, who has eight years remaining on a 13-year, $330 million contract.

¡°At this point, I don¡¯t really have any public comment,¡± Phillies managing partner John Middleton said. ¡°Other than what I've said, my goal is that he retires as a Phillie. My expectation is that he will retire as a Phillie. We need to get something done, but when we get it done and how it gets done, it's not clear to me.¡±

¡°I think that¡¯s just a conversation me and John can have whenever,¡± Harper said after the Phillies¡¯ 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays at TD Ballpark on Monday afternoon. Harper said he didn¡¯t know when that conversation might happen.

Harper said he was thrilled for Wheeler¡¯s deal and that he loves the idea of Wheeler and Aaron Nola anchoring the rotation the next four years.

¡°Having the opportunity to have a 1-2 punch with Wheels and Noles, there¡¯s not much like it in baseball,¡± he said. ¡°We have an opportunity to have 1A and 1A again with the two guys up there at the top. Then you go Ranger [Su¨¢rez] and two other guys still out there right now, so we might have a chance at those two guys as well.¡±

Those two guys are free agents Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.

Harper has stumped for free agents in the past. Asked about the chances Philadelphia signs a free-agent starter after being told about Harper¡¯s comments, Dombrowski said, ¡°We like our rotation.¡±

Sources said Snell and Montgomery are unlikely. The Phillies have expressed little to no interest in Snell throughout free agency, even on a short-term deal. One reason is they would lose Draft picks and international bonus pool money because he is attached to a qualifying offer.

But the Phillies¡¯ payroll is projected to be around $261 million, according to FanGraphs, which is about $24 million over the $237 million luxury tax threshold. If they cross the third luxury tax threshold at $277 million, they would suffer further penalties, including their top Draft pick falling 10 slots. The club does not want that.

But what about next offseason and beyond?

¡°There's a limit on how much we can do,¡± Dombrowski said. ¡°It's not unlimited. But those will be questions I think we'll face more at the end of the year once we see how our season progresses. ¡­ Figure let's tackle that at the end of the year, and we'll see where it takes us.¡±

The Phillies¡¯ 2025 payroll is already around $207 million for just nine players. They will cross the second luxury tax threshold ($261 million in '25) again. It will be challenging to stay underneath the third at $281 million. Knowing that, can they still acquire star players?

¡°I think there's a way to do it if it becomes a necessity,¡± Middleton said. ¡°But maybe the star that we add is [No. 1 prospect Andrew] Painter or [No. 2 prospect Mitch] Abel, or [Johan] Rojas gets all of a sudden comfortable at the plate and he's starting to hit .285 to .300 with his defense and he's a star. And [Brandon] Marsh could be a star. [Bryson] Stott, I think, already is a star. He's a finalist for the Gold Glove. He should be an All-Star, in my opinion, this year. He could be winning the Gold Glove. That's what you need.¡±

For what it¡¯s worth, Wheeler¡¯s agent B.B. Abbott said he asked Dombrowski those same questions as they negotiated.

¡°I talked a lot about that with Dave, who in turn talked about that with Mr. Middleton,¡± Abbott said. ¡°And they seem confident they can take this window -- we were calling it a championship window -- and putting a really good team around him and on the field.¡±