MLB Rumors: Aaron Nola contract standoff, Braves set roster, Yankees injury
By Kristen Wong
MLB Rumors: Aaron Nola and Phillies are pausing contract talks for the 2023 season
Uh oh — Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies seem to be nearing the breaking point.
According to Phillies general manager Dave Dombrowski, contract extension negotiations with Nola have been broken off for the time being and will resume at the end of the season.
Nola will start his sixth-consecutive Opening Day for the Phillies on Thursday when Philadelphia takes on the Texas Rangers. After this season, the right-handed ace is set to enter free agency as one of the hottest commodities on the market.
More Dombrowski: "We're very open minded to trying to sign him at the end of the season. We're hopeful he'll remain a Phillie for a long time."
— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) March 25, 2023
In line with Dombrowki’s comments, Nola’s agent, Joe Longo, also released a statement on the tense contract stand-off and said, “We’ll pick up the conversation again at the end of the season.”
Nola and the Phillies’ decision to table their extension talks make sense — just look at Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, who also put his contract negotiations on hold prior to the 2022 season.
But… it’s a year later, and Jackson has yet to be extended. Could Nola experience a similar falling-out with his team?
The Phillies ace signed a four-year, $45 million extension with Philadelphia in 2019, and the team exercised its club option on Nola to keep him around for the 2023 season. Nola is coming off a spectacular 2022 season that saw him post a 3.25 ERA, finish fourth place in NL Cy Young voting, and reach his first-ever World Series.
These last seven years in Philly have served Nola well. But if Phillies’ pockets aren’t deep enough or they simply don’t value him at his desired asking price, Nola may join two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani as two of the most talented pending free agents this upcoming offseason.