It’s been a nightmare walk year for Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola.
After Friday’s clunker against St. Louis, his season ERA is up to 4.62. He’s struggling to pitch deep in games, which is unlike him. He has failed to complete at least five innings in four of his 11 post-All-Star break outings, including three straight dating back to Sept. 2.
Despite all of the struggles, Nola is still one of the top starting pitchers available on the free agent market. He hasn’t missed a start due to injury since 2017 and his body of work is good enough for him to comfortably secure an eight-figure contract in the offseason.
Plenty of teams will have interest in him and the St. Louis Cardinals are expected to be one of them.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has this to say on the Cardinals’ interest in Nola:
If pressed to provide that shopping list for the offseason and who the Cardinals intend to pursue as a free agent, Phillies ace Aaron Nola would be at the top or near it.
The 30-year-old right-hander is scheduled to become a free agent after the World Series, and he fits the profile of the experienced pitcher the Cardinals want to add from the outside to lead their staff. The Cardinals, according to sources, intend to make an overture to attempt and sign him, and they’re aware of the auction that will develop for the right-hander. He’s had the consistent 200-inning, 200-strikeout seasons they covet, and he’s had postseason success – right here in river city, right in front of their eyes.
Derrick Goold on the Cardinals’ interest in Aaron Nola.
“I definitely feel like you need protection on the innings side,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters Friday. “We’re encouraged with what we’re seeing with some guys here, but adding that depth will be important.”
St. Louis has only two starting pitchers, Steven Matz and Miles Mikolas, under contract for next season. They are a team in need of multiple starting pitchers, but if Cardinals ownership is truly committed to rebuilding the rotation and being competitive in the NL Central in 2024, they could be serious players in the Nola sweepstakes.
It’s a big if. It’s tough to imagine the Cardinals shelling out a ton of money for Nola when they have multiple holes to fill in the rotation.
And it’s not as if the Cardinals have a robust history of spending a ton of money on free agents.
Matt Holliday’s seven-year, $120 million deal in 2010 is still the largest free agent contract the Cardinals have handed out. A potential Nola deal will easily exceed that — maybe not in years but definitely in total value. Last offseason, St. Louis signed catcher Wilson Contreras to a four-year, $87.5 million deal.
Will Nola alone solve the Cardinals’ pitching problems? Absolutely not, especially if the 2023 version of Nola is the one the Cardinals get moving forward.
The Phillies tend to keep quiet when it comes to free agency, especially in the middle of the season, but once it’s over, it will be interesting to hear the front office’s perspective on Nola’s rough season and whether or not they have soured on the idea of retaining Nola beyond 2023.
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