Heading into the offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies knew they had to prioritize their starting pitching. Sure, Rob Thomson’s team had the fourth-best ERA among National League teams a season ago, but frontline starter Aaron Nola was also set for free agency after nine seasons with the organization.
Nola was ranked as one of the best free agents available this offseason, landing at No. 6 on Sportsnaut’s best MLB free agents list. Yet, it was clear that the Phillies never intended to allow their 30-year-old right-handed pitcher to get away.
That became clear on Sunday morning when David Dombrowski agreed to sign Nola to a seven-year contract worth as much as $172 million, per Jeff Passan. The ink is not quite dry yet, as the deal is pending a physical, but the Phillies don’t expect any hiccups for Nola, who made it through 32 starts and pitched 193.2 innings in 2023.
Aaron Nola’s stats in 2023: 4.46 ERA, 202 K, 45 BB, 1.151 WHIP, 4.03 FIP
Nola’s new contract will keep him in Philadelphia through his age-37 season, which just might make him a lifer for the Phillies.
While the contract is not entirely complete yet, once it is, Nola will officially become the highest-paid Phillies pitcher in franchise history. If he stays the entire duration of the contract, he’ll break Steve Carlton’s record as the longest-tenured Phillies player in team history.
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