Phillies ace Nola agrees to four-year, $45 million contract
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Pitcher Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a $45 million, four-year contract, avoiding a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for this week.
The 25-year-old righthander set career bests last year when he was a first-time All-Star, going 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA. He would have been eligible for free agency after the 2021 season.
“I think Aaron Nola brings a preparation we can all look up to and our other players can emulate,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said Wednesday. “I think his between-the-lines competitiveness is off the charts. He's such a fighter, he's such a grinder, he's such a battler.”
Under a deal announced Wednesday, Nola gets a $2 million signing bonus, $4 million this year, $8 million in 2020, $11.75 million in 2021 and $15 million in 2022. Philadelphia has a $16 million team option for 2023 with a $4.25 million buyout.
Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Nola had asked for a raise from $573,000 to $6.75 million and the Phillies had offered $4.5 million.
The four-year deal effectively covers his three seasons of arbitration eligibility and one year of free agency. The contract includes a team option for the 2023 season, in which Nola will turn 30.
Players to prevail in arbitration cases
Trevor Bauer, Gerrit Cole and Alex Wood won their salary arbitration cases Wednesday, giving players a 6-3 advantage over teams to ensure a winning record in consecutive years for the first time since 1989-90.
Bauer won his hearing for the second straight year and was awarded $13 million atek instead of the Cleveland Indians' $11 million offer.
Cole was given a $13.5 million salary rather than the Astros' offer of $11,425,000.
Wood will get $9.65 million instead of the Cincinnati Reds' $8.7 million offer.
Bauer and Cole topped the previous high for a salary awarded in an arbitration hearing, $10.5 million won last year by Boston outfielder Mookie Betts.
Bauer, a 28-year-old righthander, was a first-time All-Star last year and finished sixth in AL Cy Young Award voting after going 12-6 with a 2.21 ERA, second behind Tampa Bay's Nate Snell. Bauer's right leg was broken Aug. 11 when hit by a line drive, and he did not return until Sept. 21.
Players will finish with a winning record for the third time in four years but just the fifth time since 1996 and 11th time since arbitration started in 1974.
Detroit righthander Michael Fulmer’s case was heard Wednesday. New York Yankees righthander Luis Severino is the only player still scheduled for a hearing.