Aaron Nola’s Phillies contract extension possible

This article is an excerpt from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. When apply It arrives regularly in your inbox.

According to WAR, Norah was on the team’s list of all-time top 24 players. Specifically, Nora (29.6) bumped into Scott Lauren (29.2) to get there.

It was a reminder of how well Nora has historically performed since the Phillies selected him with the 7th overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft. Nora has finished in the top 7 at the National League Cy Young Award three times in his last five seasons, and he has made one NL All-Star appearance. If a right-hander posted a 5.2 WAR this year — he averaged 5.2 in his full season over the last five years (that is, excluding his 60 games in the 2020 season) — he’s all-time with his 34.8 WAR. It moves him to number 18 on the franchise list. , just behind Kurt Schilling (36.3) and Dick Allen (35.3).

Lauren, Allen, Schilling… three players who could one day be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Nola could be in the Phillies’ top 12 all-time WAR list in 2024, but only if he stays with the Phillies. He will be a free agent after this season unless the Phillies sign a contract extension with the valuable starter.

“Nothing came to my mind,” Nora said Thursday at the Strike Out ALS event he and brother Austin hosted in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I think what I’m most excited about is that most of us are back and we have some great additions. That’s rare. “

Philadelphia won Nora’s $16 million club option just two days after the World Series. It was a simple matter. One more simple thing: it will cost the team a lot more to keep him in a Phillies uniform after this year.

Carlos Rodon signed a six-year, $162 million (AAV $27 million) contract with the Yankees in December. Chris Basitt signed his three-year, $63 million (AAV $21 million) contract with the Blue Jays. Jameson Tyrone agreed to a four-year, $68 million ($17 million AAV) deal with the Cubs.

Before the offseason, Joe Musgrove signed a 5-year, $100 million ($20 million AAV) contract extension with the Padres, and Luis Castillo signed a 5-year, $108 million ($21.6 million AAV) contract with the Mariners. signed the extension.

Nora is younger than each of those pitchers.

The Phillies starter has pitched 871 and 2/3 innings over the past five seasons. This puts him over 100 innings ahead of the next pitcher’s total (Castillo, 768 and his 1/3 innings). Nora’s five-year WAR is his 23.9, better than Castillo (16.7), Rodon (12.1), Basit (12.0), Musgrove (10.2), Taillonne (8.5) and Walker (4.7). increase.

Once he hit the open market, Nora could blow off Rodon’s lucrative deals.

“If you have a problem, it’s nice to say it,” said Nora. “But we didn’t really talk about anything. Nothing happened.”