Phillies' Updated Rotation, Payroll After Aaron Nola's Rumored 7-Year, $172M Contract

The Philadelphia Phillies have locked up starting pitcher Aaron Nola for the foreseeable future, agreeing with him to a seven-year, $172 million contract on Sunday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

With this deal, the Phillies now have their entire 2023 starting rotation tied down for at least one more season. Re-signing Nola presumably concludes Philly's business as it relates to the rotation as well with that much continuity.

---

2024 Philadelphia Phillies Projected Starting Rotation

• Zack Wheeler 
• Aaron Nola 
• Taijuan Walker 
• Ranger Suárez 
• Cristopher Sánchez

---

The full breakdown of Nola's contract is unclear. Were it to be split evenly over the seven seasons, his $24.6 million salary would take the Phillies' payroll to an estimated $234.9 million, per Spotrac. That's a little lower than where the finished 2023 ($245.4 million).

Nola made $16 million on a club option in the final year of his deal and became a free agent at the end of the 2023 season.

The 30-year-old told The Athletic's Matt Gelb in February that his representatives were engaged with the Phillies in talks for a possible extension. However, team president Dave Dombroski told reporters in March that the two sides had broken off contract extension talks and hoped to begin discussions again after the end of the 2023 campaign.

While that may have been a risky move, Philadelphia fortunately avoided losing its top pitcher to the open market.

The ace of the Phillies for the past six years, Nola has started every Opening Day game for the team since 2018. He's struggled during the 2023 season with a 12-9 record, a 4.46 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. It's just the third time in his nine-year career that he has an ERA over 4.00.

Nola's disappointing showing came after he enjoyed a strong campaign in 2022 in which he finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting after making 32 starts and pitching 205.0 innings while finishing with a 3.25 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP and 235 strikeouts. He helped power the Phillies to a surprising run to the World Series that season, though the team fell to the Houston Astros in six games.

By retaining Nola for the next seven years, Philadelphia is keeping a reliable starter for the top of the rotation. The Phillies finished with a 90-72 record this past season and a second straight NLCS appearance in the playoffs.

Nola will look for a better showing in 2024 when he takes the mound for Philadelphia.