Phillies

The Phillies Sign Aaron Nola to a Deal for 7 Years/$172 Million

By Kyle Pagan

Published: Nov 19th, 2023 · 12:09 PM EST

---

The Phillies make the first big free agent signing of the year! Aaron Nola looks like he took a hometown discount for more years tacked on to stay in Philly for possibly his entire career:

Right-hander Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a seven-year, $172 million contract, sources tell ESPN. The deal is pending a physical. But it is done, and Nola, who has spent his whole career in Philadelphia, will remain with the Phillies.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 19, 2023

No Phillies player is more polarizing than Aaron Nola. Take the Crossing Broad commenters for example:

I don’t like it. Too long a deal, for too much money.

— GreatOdinsBeard549 (@EagleGreen5499) November 19, 2023

Fair bc market for #2 is poor
I need more consistency over next 3-4 years tho….

— NR_Garrett (@NR_Garrett) November 19, 2023

Less than 200 million and 30 million per season is a good deal. Teams surely would have went higher, especially those that lose on Yamamoto

— Zach Hopkins (@healedbyhockey) November 19, 2023

I like it. They would’ve had to replace him and there’s nobody they could’ve signed that would’ve been a major upgrade.

— Joe B (@giamatt12) November 19, 2023

Massive overpay for a guy with an ERA around 4.5 two of the past 3 years. They will regret this one.

— Michael Armstrong (@bigmikea78) November 19, 2023

Both Nola and the Phillies both settled. I still would have moved on

— Cuz729 (@cuz729) November 19, 2023

I’m going to put a dollar amount on the home runs he allows next year

— Zig (@MattZiggus) November 19, 2023

You have dominant starts in the first two rounds of the playoffs and then you have starts where the wheels completely fall off like Game 6 of the NLCS to clinch a World Series spot. What you can’t deny though is that he’s one of the most reliable pitchers in baseball. You can basically pencil in 30+ starts and 180+ innings a year for the next four years. Which is basically what this deal is. He’ll be taken care of up until he’s 37, but every long term deal Dave Dombrowski throws out has the thought of the next 3-4 years in mind. If this team has any chance to win a World Series it’s going to need to be by 2028 before everyone gets old and those deals weigh the team down.

All we ask is for Aaron Nola to be more consistent. Consistant like The King always being wrong:

“I’m hearing [the Phillies] are probably not going to re-sign Aaron Nola.”

— @howardeskin on the @WIPMiddayShow pic.twitter.com/jrvYl1saUj

— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) November 7, 2023

EDIT: Nola turned down more money from other teams because he loves Philly:

Nola met with other teams and turned down more $ to remain in Philly. Teams love Nola for his dependability, but Philly players love Philly.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 19, 2023

Beating the Braves never gets old:

The Atlanta Braves were a real threat to poach Aaron Nola. But as negotiations with Nola and his agents, Joe Longo and Garrett Parcell, went on, the Phillies stepped up and gave out their biggest contract for a pitcher and 11th biggest ever. @BNightengale was on top of things.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 19, 2023