Phillies sign Nola to 7-year deal reportedly worth $172M

The Philadelphia Phillies crossed off a major need on their to-do list this offseason.

Philadelphia announced it agreed to a seven-year contract with right-hander Aaron Nola on Sunday that will keep him under team control through the 2030 season.

The deal is worth $172 million, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN.

"At the outset of this offseason, we made signing Aaron our top priority," Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. "We are committed to winning, and having an individual like him in our uniform for years to come only helps us in that regard. Aaron has proven to be one of the best and most durable pitchers in our game for a number of years now, and when considering his leadership abilities and his character, it was very important for us to keep him a part of the Phillies family."

Nola's new contract does not include any opt outs but does contain a no-trade clause. Nola, who will attend a press conference Monday at 1:30 p.m. ET, turned down more money to return to the Phillies, sources told Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Enquirer.

Nola remains in the organization in which he's spent his entire career after being selected by the Phillies with the seventh pick of the 2014 draft. Both sides had hoped to work out an extension during last season but were unable to reach an agreement at the time. He declined a qualifying offer earlier in the week.

The 30-year-old posted a 4.46 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 202 strikeouts across 193 2/3 innings last season. He owns a 3.72 ERA across 235 starts throughout his career in Philadelphia and twice finished in the top five in NL Cy Young voting (2018, 2022).

Nola ranks fifth in franchise history in strikeouts, seventh in starts, 13th in wins, and 17th in innings pitched.

Adding starting pitching was Dombrowski's top priority this winter. Even with Nola back in the fold, the club could still be looking at another addition. The Phillies will be "pretty aggressive" in their pursuit of Japanese starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, sources told Coffey. Philadelphia's payroll sits at roughly $240 million for 2024 with Nola re-signed.

The New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and St. Louis Cardinals were among the teams reportedly interested in signing Nola. However, the Cardinals did not make an offer or meet with Nola, a source told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.