CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Aaron Nola established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2018. The Phillies ensured on Wednesday that he will be the ace in their rotation for possibly the next five seasons.
The Phillies and Nola, 25, have agreed to a four-year, $45 million contract extension, the team announced Wednesday morning. The extension buys out Nola's three years of salary arbitration eligibility, plus his first free-agent year. The contract includes a club option for a fifth season, which could keep Nola in a Phillies uniform through 2023.
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Aaron Nola established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2018. The Phillies ensured on Wednesday that he will be the ace in their rotation for possibly the next five seasons.
The Phillies and Nola, 25, have agreed to a four-year, $45 million contract extension, the team announced Wednesday morning. The extension buys out Nola's three years of salary arbitration eligibility, plus his first free-agent year. The contract includes a club option for a fifth season, which could keep Nola in a Phillies uniform through 2023.
Nola will be 30 before he is eligible to hit free agency, if the Phillies pick up the club option. ESPN reports that Nola will make $4 million this season, with a $2 million signing bonus. He will make $8 million in 2020, $11.75 million in '21 and $15 million in '22. The '23 club option is worth $16 million, with a $4.25 million buyout.
Nola went 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA in 33 starts last season, finishing third for the National League Cy Young Award. He ranked second in the NL in ERA, opponents' OPS (.570) and barrels per plate appearance (3.0 percent); third in innings (212 1/3) and wOBA (.251); fourth in wins and FIP (2.97); fifth in strikeouts (224) and opponents' batting average (.197); sixth in average exit velocity (85.9) and eighth in hard-hit percentage (31.0 percent).
Nola also finished with a 10.5 pitching WAR, according to Baseball Reference. Mets ace Jacob deGrom finished second (9.6).
Historically, Nola's WAR ranked 18th in baseball in the past 100 seasons. It is the highest by any pitcher since Randy Johnson's 10.7 in 2002.
The Phillies and Nola had been scheduled to attend an arbitration hearing on Thursday. He had been seeking $6.75 million. The team had offered $4.5 million.
The Phillies have not been to an arbitration hearing since they lost to Ryan Howard in 2008.
Todd Zolecki has covered the Phillies since 2003, and for MLB.com since 2009. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
