It was a busy offseason for the Philadelphia Phillies following their World Series run against the Houston Astros.
Despite new transactions, the team reportedly has started contract negotiations with pitcher Aaron Nola’s representatives, according to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, citing multiple sources.
Nola, who is a free agent after this season, boasted a 3.25 ERA last season after striking out 235 batters in 205 innings with only 29 walks and a 31.6 hard-hit percentage while only walking 3.6 percent of batters.
He spoke to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark recently.
“My reps are kind of handling all that stuff right now,” Nola told Clark. “I love the organization, I’ve obviously been here for a while now and love the guys on the teams, but just want to focus on this year and try to win a championship with these guys and have fun and stay healthy.”
Health is a top priority for any pitcher, but Nola managed to make at least 32 starts over the last four seasons, and last season threw two complete games and a shutout. That earned him fourth-place voting for the National League MVP.
Nola’s chase rate (35 percent) and strikeout percentage (29.1) dub him as one of the top pitchers in the game.
Basically, his stuff is nasty.
Aaron Nola, Nasty 81mph Knuckle Curve. 🔨
4th Ks thru 3. pic.twitter.com/Y9SSwqcN8b
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) November 3, 2022
The 2018 All-Star select kept his answers simple when asked about an extension, and rightfully so. However, for a team that just added shortstop Trea Turner, pitchers Taijuan Walker and Craig Kimbrel — just to name a few — it doesn’t look like the Phillies would do anything silly to let him go.
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.