Phillies Trying to Retain All-Star Starter in Free Agency

The Philadelphia Phillies see trying to retain pitcher Aaron Nola as a first priority when it comes to starting pitching needs for 2024.

The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to make retaining pitcher Aaron Nola their first priority in free agency when it comes to starting pitching, but have some backup options if they’re not able to do so.

The report was filed by the New York Post.

Nola recently turned down Philadelphia’s qualifying offer, which was $20.325 million guaranteed for 2024.

Now, he’ll hit free agency for the first time looking for a multi-year deal. As the Post reported, the Phillies want to find a way to retain Nola.

But the report also indicated that the Phillies have their “limit.”

What that limit is wasn’t reported. But it’s informative to know that Nola and the Phillies discussed an extension last offseason but couldn’t get to an agreement.

The Phillies offered Nola more than $100 million then, but he turned it down. At the time, Jacob deGrom had set the high end for the market with a five-year, $185 million deal with the Texas Rangers.

But, perhaps more telling, the Phillies signed Zack Wheeler to a five-year, $118 million three years prior.

Nola bet on himself, but did he do enough to entice the Phillies, or anyone else, into a bigger deal?

In 2023 he went 12-9 with a 4.46 ERA with 202 strikeouts and 45 walks. He’s recorded at least 200 strikeouts in each of his last five full seasons. The Phillies may want him back, but a pitcher with a 90-71 record and a 3.73 career ERA will have plenty of suitors.

He’s also made one All-Star Game appearance, one World Series appearance and finished in the Top 10 of Cy Young voting three times.

If the Phillies can keep him, they can keep their 2023 rotation basically intact for 2024.