Three Potential Landing Spots For Aaron Nola
It shouldn’t be a surprise that starting pitcher Aaron Nola is expecting a big payday. After being a significant factor in helping the Philadelphia Phillies reach the World Series in 2022 and the NLCS this past season, Nola is hitting the free agency market. The 30-year-old pitcher was the seventh overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft and spent nine years with the Phillies. Aaron has racked up 90 wins and over 1,500 strikeouts since his debut on July 21, 2015. His strikeout total has topped 200 five times over the past six seasons. Many teams across the league are salivating for a quality starting pitcher. While the Phillies hope to retain Nola, there’s a chance he could leave a big hole in Philly’s pitching rotation if he signs elsewhere. Here are three teams that have a notable chance of signing Aaron Nola.
St. Louis Cardinals
It’s safe to say the St. Louis Cardinals were severely disappointing last season. The Cardinals’ pitching staff averaged an ERA of around five and was almost dead last in strikeout rate. They desperately need to find a pitcher that can hold it down during every start. It’s a good time to spend in St. Louis. It’s not known that this team makes many big-money free-agent signings. The last huge signing St. Louis had was back in 2010 when they signed Matt Holliday for 120 million dollars. Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras are the only Cardinals booked beyond 2025.
While the Cardinals did lose 91 games this past season, that shouldn’t be too concerning for Nola. St. Louis still has their star duo in Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, along with many young building blocks that could presumably have a breakout year, like sophomore right fielder Jordan Walker. Aaron Nola could be the first of many cornerstone pieces the Cardinals try to acquire this offseason.
