Aaron Nola has been a workhorse for the Phillies. He’s started at least 32 games in each of the past four full seasons – and was one of 18 pitchers with at least 12 starts in the 2020 shortened season.
Nola is in the last year of his contract and off to an up-and-down start to begin the season.
After allowing 12 earned runs in his first three starts (15 ⅓ innings), Nola is 2-0 in his last three starts with just six earned runs allowed across 21 innings. He got some revenge on the Astros with eight innings of one-run ball on Friday night.
MLB insider Jon Heyman of the Audacy Original Podcast “Big Time Baseball” talked about Nola’s dependability and explained why he’d sign the Phillies ace.
“In terms of Nola, that’s huge for him because he’s a free agent after the year,” Heyman said (20:19 in player above). “In this market, you’ve got some pretty good pitchers. Obviously, Ohtani right there is a free agent and you’ve got a few very, very good ones, but Nola is near the top of that list.”
Nola wouldn’t have been near the top of that list in 2021, though, when the starter finished at just 9-9 with a 4.63 ERA – including a 6.19 ERA in September. But a contract year can change things.
“It can make a difference between a $250 million deal and something far, far less,” Heyman said.
While teams went out this offseason and paid big money for starters with some injury history, Nola presents the opposite option: a durable arm with consistent results.
“One thing I’ll say about Nola is he’s dependable. He makes those starts,” Heyman continued. “That’s the kind of guy I’d like to sign; a guy who I know is going to make the start every five days.”
Nola is aiming to prove that his 4.63 ERA in the 2021 season was a fluke. He finished with a 3.25 ERA last year and had an ERA of 3.87 or lower in every season since 2017.
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