Pitcher Aaron Nola is under contract with the Philadelphia Phillies for the next seven seasons. However, how near were the Phillies to losing him?
After some investigation, the Philadelphia Inquirer learned that two teams were vying for Nola and had made offers that were marginally lower than the $172 million that the Phillies eventually gave him.
Atlanta is one of those teams, and Nola has had a close relationship with them since the beginning of his free agency. The Braves began their pursuit of Nola with a six-year, $162 million contract, or $27 million annually, according to the Inquirer. To put things in perspective, Nola inked a contract worth $24.5 million annually.
Nola’s negotiations with the Phillies seemed to be heating up, so the Braves reportedly increased the offer.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, who are in dire need of veteran starting pitching following Clayton Kershaw’s surgery and the probable suspension of Julio Urias for at least a portion of the 2024 season, were the other team involved.
It turns out that the Dodgers offered a reportedly $165 million deal that was comparable. There was no mention of the length.
The offers from the Braves and Dodgers seemed to be just enough to press the Phillies into making a slightly higher offer and providing an additional year of security, if that was what Nola and his representatives from Paragon Sports International were hoping for in a bidding war.
He had a 12-9 record, a 4.46 ERA, 202 strikeouts, and 45 walks in 2023. He has completed five complete seasons with at least 200 strikeouts. A pitcher with a 90-71 record and a 3.73 career ERA will undoubtedly have many suitors, even though the Phillies might want him back.
In addition, he has appeared in one World Series, one All-Star Game, and three times in the Top 10 of the Cy Young voting.