The Phillies picked up their $16MM club option on Aaron Nola for the 2023 season, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link). The option contained a $4.25MM buyout, but there was no chance the Phils weren’t going to retain the star right-hander for another season.
Drafted seventh overall in the 2014 draft, Nola made his MLB debut the very next season, and has gone on to become the gem of Philadelphia’s oft-maligned player development system. Since the start of the 2018 season, no pitcher has thrown more innings than Nola’s 871 2/3 frames, and he has paired that durability with a 3.47 ERA. (Even that number is a bit misleading, as Nola had a 3.26 SIERA in 2021 but only a 4.63 ERA due to some sheer bad luck.) That five-stretch also saw Nola finish third in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2018, and he collected a seventh-place finish in 2020.
It seems likely that Nola will again appear on some Cy Young ballots this year, after his 3.25 ERA over 205 innings, a league-best 8.1 K/BB rate and 1.3 BB/9, as well as excellent strikeout, hard-hit ball, and chase rates. Nola reached for the postseason for the first time in his career, starting five games during the Phillies’ run to their first World Series appearance since 2009.
Back in February 2019, Nola signed a four-year extension worth at least $45MM in guaranteed money. With the option exercised, that deal is now a five-year, $56.75MM pact that has already been worth every penny for the Phillies. The right-hander doesn’t even turn 30 until June, and the question now becomes whether or not the Phillies can sign Nola to another extension. Locking Nola up to another long-term deal would be a good way of ensuring some more rotation stability, as Zack Wheeler’s contract is up after 2024 and Ranger Suarez is arbitration-controlled through 2025. Top prospect arms like Andrew Painter and Mick Abel could debut in the majors as early as 2023, but just given the timing of the expiring contracts, Painter and Abel could be viewed more as possible in-house replacement for Wheeler rather than Nola.
Cue the Nola haters.
This is a no brainer.
Can’t be too many of those. In addition to having another solid season, he pitched well up to the WS.
there are way more than you think.
“Up to…”
Am guessing they will start to post that now that he’s locked in, he’ll be easier to move…..?
In a move surprising absolutely no one…
Longest tenured player on the team. It was a lock.
He’s a bargain!
Time for DD to get creative if he can’t extend Nola by packaging him with Hoskins to land some bullpen/IF help and bring in a FA pitcher to pair with Wheeler atop the rotation.
No need to trade an affordable SP to fill those areas of need.
Trading Aaron Nola for some middle reliever surely puts the Phillies in a better spot. Let me tell ya
Cause SP his quality that cheap just fall out of trees. Lol
Now go get Rodon
Hmmm Eflin at $15M or Nola at $16M?
Tough call there.
He’s a horse , Pitches well in 2023 will be looking for 30 mill a year as a FA. If I’m Phillies I’m trying to lock him up.
Dombrowski will make the right move and attempt to ink him in as long as he thinks this version will compete…..The one-two punch he provides is too good to let fall by the wayside…
I enjoyed this year’s run but I fear Nola and Wheeler may have a tough time next season after all of the workload and short offseason. Hope the Phils bring in some much needed depth to give these guys a break.
they should trade for the other nola at san diego and have a nola/nola matchup.
I have faith in Dave Dombrowski.
In 2014 Dombrowski drafted, traded for, built a rotation in Detroit of the following:
1) Justin Verlander
2) Max Scherzer
3) David Price
4) Rick Porcello
5) Anibal Sanchez
6) Drew Smyly
7) Robbie Ray
5 of these pitchers won the Cy Young Award
in their careers at least 1X.
All were young and in their prime.
Ray was just getting his feet wet.