With their 2023 MLB season coming to an end, the Philadelphia Phillies now turn their attention to the upcoming free agency that is set to begin shortly after the conclusion of the World Series. Among the notable Phillies who will become free agents, the one at the top of the list is none other than team ace Aaron Nola.
Nola has been a key part of the Phillies’ starting rotation for his entire nine-year career in the majors. He has definitely been through all the ups and downs with the ballclub over that time span. But one thing that he always brought to the Phillies was his consistent focus and winning mentality every time he took the mound. In doing so, he was often the difference maker for the ballclub in important games.
Overall, he has posted a 90-71 record, including three complete game shutouts, along with a 3.72 ERA, 113 ERA+, 1.13 WHIP and a whopping 1,582 strikeouts in just 1,422 innings pitched over 235 starts.
The Phillies’ president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski clearly stated in his end-of-season media presser that the number one priority for the ballclub was to work on re-signing Nola. He noted that the key to winning the World Series was to have top-tier pitching, and he considers Nola as definitely just that. As a result, the Phillies intend to be aggressive in their approach to try their best to make it happen.
However, if a potential deal does end up falling through, Dombrowski mentioned that they would need to find a starting pitcher of similar quality to Nola as his replacement. If such a case does end up coming to fruition, what would be the starting pitcher options available in the upcoming free agency?
Here are six of the top free-agent options the Phillies can pursue if they fail to re-sign Nola.