On July 28, 2011, Mets GM Sandy Alderson traded pending free agent Carlos Beltran to the Giants for top prospect Zack Wheeler.
A little over eight years later, Wheeler potentially made his final start for the Mets on Thursday night at Citi Field. The 29-year-old pitched eight innings to give him a career-high 195 for the season.
He was completely dominating the Marlins through seven scoreless innings when he ran into trouble in the eighth. After a pitched deemed to be ball two (though it was clearly strike three), Wheeler allowed a two-run homer to Marlins catcher Tyler Heineman to tie the game at 2-2. Former Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson followed with a solo shot to make it 3-2 Marlins.
Despite the late hiccup, Wheeler was impressive striking out 10 over eight innings of work. He allowed three runs on five hits and walked none.
Wheeler will now likely enter free agency for the first time in his career, “Whatever happens next, it is what it is.”
The right-hander finishes the 2019 season with a 3.96 ERA, 3.49 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, career-high 195 1/3 innings, career-high 195 srtikeouts, and a career best 3.90 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Wheeler is almost certainly going to receive a qualifying offer from the Mets that he will likely turn down in hopes of a multi-year deal on the free agent market. He’s going into free agency on the right foot after posting 1.80 ERA in his final six starts of the season and going at least seven innings in his last four.
Wheeler went at least seven innings in 15 starts this year, that’s the second most starts in the National League this year behind only teammate and likely Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom.
