3 MLB Teams Dumb Enough to Offer Zack Wheeler a 6-Year Contract in Free Agency

It's quite evident that Zack Wheeler is being viewed as one of the top dogs of this year's free agency class and should have a plethora of contract offers to sort out when all is said and done.

At this stage it remains to be seen what organization is leading the race to sign the 29-year-old right-hander, and, as with any free agent, it's worth deliberating if there are any clubs out there that overvalue him.

And it's no secret Wheeler is expected to be overvalued. Such is life in the MLB. If you have a good contract year, you're all of a sudden a hot commodity or a top trade candidate. Wheeler has been in the MLB since 2013 but has made just 126 starts, good for a 44-38 record with a 3.77 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. On top of that, he's never pitched 200 innings. Is that six-year deal material? Some teams might think so, and they'd be a bit foolish to jump the gun.

The tipping point in the aggressive bidding for Patrick Corbin last winter was when the Nationals offered six years. It'll be interesting to see if proposing a sixth year turns out to be a separator in the Wheeler bidding this winter.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 3, 2019

3. San Diego Padres

The Padres are certainly in the market to add another quality pitcher behind Chris Paddack. / Dylan Buell/Getty Images

San Diego is in a great position entering the 2019 offseason as they still flaunt one of the best farm systems in MLB after calling up a few prospects this past season. They have cornerstone positional players and Chris Paddack is a gifted young arm to build a rotation around. However, Paddack is about the only hurler who should give Padres fans confidence. The club has been on the hunt for starting pitching for quite some time, so don't be surprised if they pull the trigger and offer Wheeler a whopping and lengthy contract to try and take the next leap.

2. Houston Astros

With Gerrit Cole destined to find another home in this winter, expect Houston to pursue a pitcher. / Patrick Smith/Getty Images

There's no doubting the Astros roster will undergo some changes this offseason -- Gerrit Cole leaving town is pretty much a guarantee -- so Houston will likely be pursuing a top level starting pitcher to complement Justin Verlander at the top of their rotation. With JV getting up there in age, the Astros could give in and tab Wheeler their next stud hurler for the next six years.

1. Los Angeles Angels

Given the stance of their pitching staff, the Angels would absolutely overpay for Wheeler. / Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

How many years have the Angels been desperate for starting pitching? We've honestly lost count, and their current state could certainly persuade them to cave and give Wheeler a six-year contract. Let's be honest, LA is itching for fans to forget the fact that they coughed up $10 million for Matt Harvey last offseason. Wheeler could prove to be that "fix."