Phillies Rumors: Aaron Nola a 'Primary Target' for Multiple Teams in MLB Free Agency

Aaron Nola's free agency is expected to be one of the hottest in baseball as the longtime Philadelphia Phillies ace is one of the top pitchers on the market this winter.

While the Phillies "remain engaged" in contract discussions with Nola, "a number of other clubs consider him a primary target," according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

"Nola doesn't figure to get as much as [Blake] Snell or [Yoshinobu] Yamamoto," Rosenthal added. "But he should fare quite well."

Nola has spent his entire nine-year career in Philadelphia, earning an All-Star selection in 2018 and helping the franchise contend for a World Series title in 2022.

However, Nola had a down year by his standards in 2023, posting a 12-9 record with a 4.46 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 202 strikeouts in 193.2 innings across 32 starts. He also allowed 32 home runs, the most he has allowed in a single season in his career.

Despite his struggles, the Phillies finished second in the National League East with a 90-72 record, earning a postseason berth for the second consecutive season.

Nola was an entirely different pitcher in the playoffs, posting a 3-1 record with a 2.35 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 23 innings across four starts, though he did give up two home runs in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Phillies went on to lose the series in Game 7.

The 30-year-old would be a solid addition to any rotation, and it seems likely that he may move on from Philadelphia this winter.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on Sunday that general managers around MLB "believe that the Phillies will let Nola walk, and will turn their attention to Blake Snell, who's about to win his second Cy Young award."

Nightengale added that the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers could be landing spots for the veteran righthander. A number of general managers predicted he would sign with the reigning World Series champion Rangers, per Nightengale.

Aside from Nola and Snell, some of the other top pitchers on the market this offseason include Shohei Ohtani, Jordan Montgomery, Sonny Gray and Eduardo Rodriguez.