![Aaron Nola signed a contract extension with the Phillies. [Image Credit] 97.3 ESPN - YouTube](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2019/2/15/660x290/b_502x220x82/aaron-nola-signed-a-contract-extension-with-the-phillies-image-credit-973-espn-youtube_2205731.jpg "Aaron Nola signed a contract extension with the Phillies. [Image Credit] 97.3 ESPN - YouTube")
Probably one of the league's best-rising aces, Aaron Nola has secured a new deal with the Phillies, allowing the team to keep one of their best pitchers. The signals that the Phillies are making a strong push to the postseason this season, making necessary trades and being a player in the Bryce Harper sweepstakes. MLB Trade Rumors reports that Nola and the Phillies have agreed to a four-year contract extension.
Aaron Nola is becoming a rising pitcher in the National League
Aaron Nola showed great performance in 2017 with a 3.54 era, and even improved his delivery in 2018, recording a 17-6 record and a 2.37 ERA.
He ended up third in the NL Cy Young voting and lead National League pitchers in WAR. This was going to be Nola's entrance into arbitration, so the deal covers those years, with the possibility of covering two years of his free agency. ESPN's Jeff Passan announced the breakdown of Aaron Nola's new deal.
The breakdown of Aaron Nola's deal with the Phillies:
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 13, 2019
$2M signing bonus
2019: $4M
2020: $8M
2021: $11.75M
2022: $15M
2023: $16M club option with $4.25M buyout
The deal can cover two years of free agency for Nola if the Phillies exercise the option.
Aaron Nola is promised a maximum of $56.75 million for five years, off an original four year $45-million, according to The Inquirer.
Nola's final option year will be when he is 30. If the Phillie's decide not to pick up his 2023 option year, he will enter the free agency market. The Philadelphia Inquirer suggests that Aaron Nola wanted to avoid arbitration and just wanted to go year-to-year.
Aaron Nola may have wanted to avoid the uncertainty of free agency
When you look at the free agent market and the number of stars still available as the league enters spring training, many players are taking long-term deals when they're first offered. When Nola's new deal is finished, free agency may be restructured, thanks to a new CBA agreement, but he still is young and would do well on the free market.
The Phillies have found a pitcher that can make the team a threat to reach the playoffs.
It makes sense why Aaron Nola would not want to enter the uncertainty of free agency, based on how the market has been acting this offseason. All this made Nola want to accept a lengthy deal instead over free agency, where he could have expected to sign a six-figure deal with any team. Whatever one thinks of the deal from the player’s perspective, it seems to be an easy risk for the big-budget Phillies to take. However, this deal has some risks, as Nola has suffered several injuries. Signing Nola for the near future does have loads of upsides. We now wait and watch to see how he performs this offseason and during the regular season and whether his numbers remain strong.
