MLB analyst backs Aaron Nola to walk away with massive free agency contract amid Phillies extension stalemate
Host of SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio, Jim Duquette, expects a big contract in the making for Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola if he were to opt into free agency at the end of the season.
After extension talks between Aaron Nola and the @Phillies have stalled during Spring Training, @Jim_Duquette believes Nola is set to cash in.
#Phillies | #AaronNola | #RingTheBell https://t.co/L9ljNvN93X
"After extension talks between Aaron Nola and the @Phillies have stalled during Spring Training, @Jim_Duquette believes Nola is set to cash in. #Phillies | #AaronNola | #RingTheBell," MLB Network Radio On SiriusXM, Twitter
Aaron Nola is entering the final year of his four-year, $45 million extension that he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies before the start of the 2019 season. The deal also included a $16 million club option for the 2023 campaign.
Duquette believes the 30-year-old Nola easily has six to seven years left in the tank, barring anything serious, and he anticipates that the Louisiana native could walk away with a whopping $200 million free agency deal.
"Well, it's going to be a lot further north than what we wrote down. I think he's worth $200 million. If he's out on the free agent market he's $200 million," Duquette said.
Duquette paid tribute to Nola's consistency in the Phillies uniform ever since his debut, crediting his focus on health and fitness as a major factor for that:
"Six or maybe allows you to go seven years. So 31 to 37. He has been healthy!"
Nola concluded the 2022 season with a 11–13 record, posting a 3.25 ERA and 235 strikeouts in 32 starts and 205 innings. He also led the majors in strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Aaron Nola's current MLB contract and salary
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola, aka the ace of the team, was selected seventh overall in the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
A consistent performer in his initial days at the club, Nola signed a blockbuster $45 deal million over four seasons on Feb. 13, 2019. The deal also included a club option clause that could have been activated in 2023.
The Phillies exercised their end of the $16 million club option on Nola for 2023 on Nov 7, 2022, and it is expected that the Phillies will retain Nola for at least another season.