St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Aaron Nola link, Japanese pitcher intrigue, a true wild card target
By Mark Powell
St. Louis Cardinals Rumors: Aaron Nola link is very real
It's been a relatively down year by Aaron Nola's standards with the Phillies, as he has an ERA over four. This is all in spite of a dominant outing against the St. Louis Cardinals his last time out, when he allowed no runs over seven innings pitched. It was some of the best stuff we've seen from Nola this season, something he ackowleged postgame.
“I hope so,” Nola said. “I feel good, the body feels really good -- all physically and mentally. Hopefully I keep it going. I’m just going to have a good work week this week and stay healthy in September. … I’m getting ahead. I’m throwing better pitches. The defense played really good behind me. I’m going deeper in the game, [getting] early outs.”
The reason Nola's start against St. Louis is so relevant long term is that they're expected to be interested in him this offseason. The Cards need starting pitchers, and with Nola set to hit the free-agent market this winter, St. Louis could be a destination of choice. FanSided MLB Insider discussed the possibility of a Nola-Cardinals fit a few weeks ago:
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"Leading into the regular season, Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies were engaged in contract extension talks. Ultimately, no deal was ever close to being consummated, and the right-hander went into a contract year with no long-term deal in place. It was a risk by Nola, of course. But it was also a risk for the Phillies, who risked Nola further establishing himself as a premier right-hander, and further bolstering his value ahead of free agency...If the Cardinals are to land a higher-end starting pitcher in free agency, a name that makes a LOT of sense for them is Jordan Montgomery. A reunion between the two sides is one to watch."
So, inevitably, Murray believes the Phillies ace will end up back in the city of brotherly love, but where there's smoke, there is usually fire. Bob Nightengale named Nola as one of several aces on the Cardinals wish list this coming offseason. They'll be in the bidding war, at the very least.