Aaron Nola
This could be the most surprising name in the list, but here we have the Phillies veteran ace Aaron Nola. The former first round pick of the Phillies back in the 2014 MLB Draft, Nola has been everything the Phillies asked for, as he has helped anchor the starting rotation for almost the past decade. He has been reliable and consistent for the bulk of his tenure with the ballclub, and was even a former All-Star and Cy Young finalist during his stellar 2018 campaign.
However, for the 2023 season, Nola has wavered quite a bit from his consistency and has had an up and down year for the Phillies. Counted upon by the team to deliver some quality starts throughout the season, he has fluctuated between stellar starts and stinkers for much of the year. In doing so, he has still posted a solid 12-9 record with a 4.46 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, but he constantly ran into trouble with the long ball all season, giving up 32 home runs in his 32 starts.
At the beginning of the season, Nola turned down a huge extension offer by the Phillies that was believed to be worth more than $100 million. Therefore, it is most likely that he intends to explore the free agent market to see how much more he could potentially get. With certain red flags already being raised from his game this year, along with the fact that he probably wants to get paid with a long-term contract as well, Nola is probably good as gone when the postseason finishes up, as he may not be worth the amount of money for the term he is adamantly looking for.