Wally Backman says he was “betrayed” by the Wilpons and the Mets by JT. Teran

Zack Wheeler and the Mets will avoid arbitration

With the arbitration deadline coming up quickly this Friday, the Mets are looking to get deals done with as many players as possible before negotiations get thrown to an arbiter. FanRag’s Jon Heyman is reporting Wednesday afternoon that the Amazin’s have settled with another player for the 2017 season. Zack Wheeler and New York agreed to a salary of $800,000 for 2017.

Zack Wheeler, mets settle at 800K. Hasn’t pitched since ’14 (but comin back) — Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 11, 2017

Wheeler, who is in his first year of arbitration eligibility, hasn’t pitched for the Mets since 2014 since having Tommy John surgery. He attempted a return in 2015, but was unable to do so after a few setback. He’s looking to make a big return this coming season, however, and is sure to be healthy when Spring Training rolls around.

The rumor at beginning of December was that Wheeler could be pushed out of the rotation to start the season. In order to ease him into a bigger workload, the Mets have reportedly considered starting him off at the bullpen.

A move like this would surely help the Mets control not only his innings, but also the situations in which he’s brought in. This could also help not only his confidence at first, but also give a necessary piece to a bullpen that’s still somewhat in complete.

With Wheeler signed, the Mets now have eight other players that are looking for deals before Spring Training starts. We’re expecting that much like with Wheeler, the Mets’ front office will be looking to strike deals with the remaining players as quickly as possible. With pitchers and catchers reporting in just over 32 days, it’s crucial to get everyone under contract and ready to compete. Spring Training is right around the corner.