Padres Free Agent Catcher Surprisingly Signs MLB Deal With AL Central Squad
Padres free agent catcher Aaron Nola has officially signed a major deal with the Kansas City Royals. The team made the announcement on Friday morning.
Nola, 34, spent the last three-and-a-half years with San Diego after being acquired at the 2020 trade deadline from the Seattle Mariners.
Unfortunately, the veteran catcher was never able to figure things out with the Friars.
After dominating in the first half of the shortened 2020 season with Seattle — hitting .306 with five home runs and an OPS of .903 — he struggled in San Diego, hitting .222 with an OPS of .705.
Things would only get worse for Nola.
In 2021, he appeared in just 56 games as he dealt with multiple injures.
In 2022, he appeared in 110 games, but had his OPS dip to .649.
And in 2023, he endured his worst season as a pro, only appearing in 52 games and hitting .146 with an OPS of .452.
Nola was non-tendered in the offseason and signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, only to get released six weeks later.
Now, he's getting an MLB opportunity with Kansas City, which is a bit of a surprise considering the year he's coming off of.
However, the Royals wanted to give him a shot on a major league deal, and Nola will hope to make the most of it.
He joins a Royals team that is filled with former Padres, including Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Jordan Lyles, Adam Frazier and Hunter Renfroe.
