The Philadelphia Phillies have spent plenty of time this offseason signing free agents.
But, now is the time for them to look at some of the current players on their roster.
One player that is due for a contract extension is starting pitcher Aaron Nola.
The righty enters the final year of a four-year contract he signed back in 2019.
He is set to make $16 million this season, and that is well under market value for an all-star caliber pitcher.
According to Spotrac, Nola should be looking at a contract for around $26.4 million per year.
The Phillies are in a position where they can not let Nola leave in free agency.
They are in win-now mode and starting pitching is always a priority in the MLB.
The 29-year-old is coming off an 11-13 season with an ERA of 3.25.
He finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting, which is his second top-four finish in the past five seasons.
Also, Nola remains one of the more reliable pitchers in baseball.
He has thrown at least 180+ innings in each of the last four full seasons.
The duo of Zack Wheeler and Nola has been very good over the past few years and the Phillies should not mess that up.
Despite flying under the radar for most of his career, Nola has been one of the best pitchers in the league.
Aaron Nola has 29.9 fWAR and 29.6 bWAR before turning 30 and people are acting like this is a crazy take. Assuming he doesn't have the horrific defense he had in 2021, he can definitely put up ~30 WAR over the next 7 years and put himself in position to have a great HOF case. https://t.co/XGSvaXHod1
— Ryan Garcia (In the Lab🧪) (@RyanGarciaESM) January 4, 2023
The last thing both sides want is for Nola to pitch next season on a one-year contract.
Getting this deal done before spring training can help avoid any conflicts before the season starts.
If the Phillies are serious about winning a championship over the next few seasons, they will need Nola to be at his best.
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