Philadelphia Phillies Projected Starting Rotation After Re-Signing Aaron Nola
The Philadelphia Phillies re-signed homegrown starting pitcher Aaron Nola on Sunday afternoon, getting a deal done that is worth $172 million.
Per Jeff Passan of ESPN:
Right-hander Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a seven-year, $172 million contract, sources tell ESPN. The deal is pending a physical. But it is done, and Nola, who has spent his whole career in Philadelphia, will remain with the Phillies.
Passan added that the Atlanta Braves were in pursuit of Nola, which helped spur the Phillies into action. This is a huge move by Philly, which is coming off back-to-back berths in the NLCS and one berth in the World Series. As they look for their first World Series title since 2009, they have re-solidified the top of their rotation, while also keeping Nola away from the division rivals.
Nola went 12-9 this past season for Philly, pitching to a 4.46 ERA. Lifetime, he's 90-71 with a 3.72. He was drafted in the first round of the MLB draft in 2014 by the Phillies out of LSU and has been a huge part of the team's building process.
After keeping Nola in the fold, it's likely that the rotation shapes up this way:
Aaron Nola
Zack Wheeler
Taijuan Walker
Ranger Saurez
Christopher Sanchez
Of course, there is still time to make moves in this offseason, but it remains to be seen whether or not Dave Dombrowski and his staff have another big one in them this offseason.
With Nola taken care of, the Phillies are likely to turn their attention to the bullpen.
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