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The Phillies need to go over the luxury tax if they want to be World Series contenders

The signing of Zack Wheeler to a five-year, $118 million contract is no doubt a controversial one.

On the one hand, you have a guy who has had two seasons where he has performed at the level of a No. 3 starter, a guy with a Tommy John surgery in his past and who is being given top-of-the-rotation money on the hopes he can turn into a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher.

On the other hand, you see a guy with elite stuff, a pitcher who has been worth anywhere from 3.5 to 4.5 wins above replacement each of the last two seasons and is a clear upgrade for a team that desperately needed someone to come in and provide capable starting pitching.