CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Dave Dombrowski isn’t the first baseball executive to say that teams need good starting pitching to win.

But he did spend $298 million this offseason to make the point. He signed Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million contract on Nov. 19. He signed Zack Wheeler to a three-year, $126 million contract extension on Monday.

Those moves will keep Wheeler and Nola together through 2027.

“I remember when [Phillies managing partner] John Middleton called me originally about the job,” Dombrowski said Monday at BayCare Ballpark. “I was talking to a couple of people, and I said, ‘You look at different organizations where they are. You have to have a lot of good players in order to win. But if you don’t have good starting pitching, you're going to be in trouble.’ And I said, ‘It’s a really good place to start when you have people like Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola in your organization.’”

In their 141-year history, the Phillies haven’t had many starting-pitching duos like Wheeler and Nola. They certainly haven’t had many who pitched together for four consecutive seasons. Wheeler and Nola have a combined 32.3 WAR from 2020-23, according to Baseball Reference. (That number would have been higher if not for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.)

Since the Divisional Era began in 1969, only two Phillies duos have pitched together for four consecutive seasons with better WAR:

• Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee, 41.5 WAR (2011-14)
• Roy Halladay and Hamels, 37.4 WAR (2010-13)

Steve Carlton never had a partner for four consecutive seasons. Before 1969, you have to look at duos like Jim Bunning and Chris Short, who had 51.8 WAR from 1964-67; Robin Roberts and Curt Simmons, who had 44.2 WAR from 1952-55; and Grover Cleveland Alexander and Erskine Mayer, who had 50.8 WAR from 1914-17.

If everything goes the way Philadelphia, Wheeler and Nola hope over the next four years, Wheeler and Nola should be regarded as the club’s greatest 1-2 combo in franchise history.

“You tip your cap to John Middleton, and how he wants to go out there and give us a great opportunity to compete and try to win a championship,” outfielder Kyle Schwarber said. “Obviously, Dave realizes what we have here and they keep adding onto it, they keep extending what we have going on. … Those two have been so dominant. You don’t run across arms that can go 190 innings, 200-plus innings. You just don’t see that anymore. That can be an extra 20-30 innings per guy that the bullpen doesn’t have to cover. It keeps the bullpen fresh. Those are huge things that you shouldn’t forget about. The way they’re able to go out there and take the ball consistently, give you innings with the stuff, it’s amazing.”

Five Phillies pitchers have thrown 40 or more innings in the postseason. Zack Wheeler’s 2.42 ERA ranks second.

Who is first?

A. Cole Hamels
B. Steve Carlton
C. Aaron Nola
D. Cliff Lee

As long as Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are free agents, the Phillies will continue to be linked to them. Even Bryce Harper hinted at the possibility on Monday. As he discussed the Phillies’ rotation with Wheeler and Nola locked up through 2027, Harper said, “And two other guys [are] still out there right now, so we might have a chance at those two guys as well.”

Sources say neither is likely. The Phillies have expressed almost no interest in Snell since the beginning of the offseason, so even a one-year deal is a long shot. First, Snell is attached to a qualifying offer, so the Phillies would forfeit two Draft picks plus international bonus pool money to sign him. Then there is the fact that Snell will not come cheaply, especially on a one-year deal. The Phillies do not want to cross the third luxury tax threshold at $277 million. If they do, there not only are tax ramifications, but their top Draft pick would fall 10 spots.

Philadelphia liked the idea of Montgomery on a one- to two-year deal, especially with no qualifying offer attached. But to make that work, the club would have to trade a player or players to stay under the third luxury tax threshold.

It is highly unlikely that would happen, either.

Asked about it Monday, Dombrowski was concise: “We like our rotation.”

D. Lee had a 2.33 ERA in six starts from 2009-11.

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