High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - EMERGENCY AARON NOLA CONTRACT POD!

Episode Date: November 19, 2023

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to the Phillies and Aaron Nola agreeing to a seven-year contract. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Another fact, so jump aboard the B.I.B. Express. Follow and listen to Baseball Isn't Boring, presented by Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. So coming up in a bit, we'll get to Preston Mattingly. We could not ask him about the NOLA stuff, just so you guys know going in, because obviously not everything is fully official organization-wise and stuff, but we talked to him about a ton of stuff.

But, Fritzie, we were expecting you to record with Mattingly today, then maybe record the rest of the pod, the middle of the week, put it all together. And then out of nowhere, in like the span of 30 minutes, Nightingale comes out. He's like, oh, hey, guys, Nola in the Phillies making progress. And then it's like, bang, 30 minutes later, seven years, $172 million. Nola's back, i i'm shocked man like

i don't know what else to say i this is i i'm i welcome home aaron i'm very happy to have you back here we'll get into the money and the whole thing and obviously you know the end of the contract might be ugly but but i'm really happy aaron will be back but more than anything jack i just didn't expect us to be doing this pod thing i'm shocked how you doing me too me too um and I'm definitely happy you know like the Phillies kept a really good picture and in classic Phillies fashion they went more years for less AV so no so Nola gets the um I guess the uh he knows the length of the contracts fine and he can be he can be uh he's gonna be a philly for life which is hilarious um and he's gonna go he's gonna have so many franchise records when it's all said and done yeah he really is you're right that's a great point so yeah he's he's back

um and if i'm just viewing this what i think happened is obviously nola went out tested the market probably wasn't get 200 million. Could he maybe have gotten one 90 from a team if he really was pushing for it? Yeah. Well, for what it is, apparently turned down more money.

John Heyman reported in Alex coffee, uh, confirmed it that apparently Nola did turn down more money from at least one other team or potentially other teams. So, so he's the 2020s Cliff Lee. Yeah. He's Trey Turner. I mean, it's all people oh that's what we do all we do is people people love to be here um so so they kept a

good pitcher um he's been durable um obviously that's pretty like the big selling point on aranola is that he pitches all the time and like I think last year was more of a just a down year than than a massive sign for for concern because obviously when you sign a pitcher for seven years it's like okay um what's the what's his velo going down is this stuff going down I haven't really seen that you know he's kind of just been Aaron arenola um he does have these up and down kind of years and i just think that the adjustments they made in the postseason were real and that was the one thing when i was talking about he's gonna walk is is that i didn't want another team to benefit off of the adjustments that he made in the postseason because it's like that stinks because i think

they're getting a steal um from that standpoint so um i'm happy he's back i'm glad it's like that stinks because I think they're getting a steal from that standpoint. So I'm happy he's back. I'm glad it's not Blake Snow. I'm not going to lie. I do still wish it was Yamamoto. Me too. But apparently that's not totally off the table. Some reports out there that they'd still be interested in him,

which I would be very, very surprised. They're not giving Nola this contract, Yamamoto a similar-looking contract, and then re-signing Wheeler to something. I mean, let's be real. Probably not happening, but I'm just saying what is out there. I still would have preferred Yamamoto just because of the age, and I think the stuff plays, and I think he's similar to Aaron Nola.

Yeah, and again, the age. The age is six years younger. I mean, it is what it is age. The age. The age. He's six years younger. I mean, it is what it is. It's a massive six years. It's a big one. But overall, the Phillies didn't get worse today, and they no longer have to worry about, okay, Nola walks.

Who are we signing to replace him? Also, listen, I would have loved Corbin Burns or Dylan Cease, but now it's like... You're giving up prospects and all that stuff to do it, too. And especially after talking to our guy, Preston Mattingly. Oh, buddy. Not... Like, I was prepared. I'm way more excited about Mick Abel.

Like, that Mick Abel answer got me, like, pretty stoked. Well, that answer and the Aiden Miller answer for me... And the Aiden Miller answer, obviously, was... Come on. Well, it's because I was prepared to say, okay, he's going to be in the c-street no no no no no no no no no no he's untouchable officially labeling him as untouchable so well yeah preston didn't say that you're saying that just he did not say that no that is not an

official quote from preston mattingly my interpretation from his Yes, let's not do our guy dirty yet there, right? No, no, never. So they don't have to give up prospects. They brought back a good pitcher. Is it a lot of years? Yeah, it's a lot of years. But they keep the AAV down, so hopefully they can go add more pieces to this team.

And we'll deal with the 2028 Phillies and the 2029 Phillies when we get there. But the good part is, and we talked about this a lot on this podcast, and obviously we just had Preston on, we've had Brian Barber on. I think they're just getting started with this whole player development thing. So even though they're here for a long time, I don't think this is going to take them out of also developing players at the same time to where they can just have a nice mixture of the two.

Yeah, and have players to trade for guys if they need to supplement or this or that or whatever, I'm totally with you. And I think, you know, the key, like you said, and if you go back,

you know, just a few days actually to our perfect dog season pod, you know, one of our main tenants themes, beliefs, whatever, is that, that we're in the window right now,

like go in, do everything you can to win a world series over the next three four five years like that is the prime imperative of this franchise and signing Aaron Nola today helps to that like flat out it gives you a better chance to do that and then this window is still going to be a part of uh before the Nola contract you know before we have to start really worrying about it going south, we think, we believe. And I think with NOLA, the key to it is, look, when you sign these big type of deals, like, look, obviously, and it was a smaller deal, but the Wheeler one, you know, you're hoping for that, right? You're hoping for someone who you sign who has some upside,

but hasn't reached that level yet. And you give them a hundred million or 120 million, and they way vastly outperform that, right? That's the goal. But I think outside of, of just getting like a steal, I think you just want someone who's going to show up and earn their money. You know, more than anything, you just want it not to be a, a disaster contract as a Strasburg contract. You know, that Hector run Rodon this year is for Carlos Rodon. This is first year this year. Like all you want.

I know. I went. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. I don't know why I had Hector Rondon on my head. So anyway, you know,

you, you just want it. You, if nothing else, you know, you want, you want your money's worth, obviously,

but, but more than anything, you want them to show up and be there and pitch and make an impact. And, you know, there's, there's no better guy to, to spend the money on for that. And we've talked a lot over the years about Nola and how I think one thing for him is, is his stuff should age. Well, you know,

the type of pitchery is should age. Well, he's never been a max effort, max velocity stuff guy in that way. He's a, he's a pitcher. He's a craftsman, he's a technician, all that type of stuff. And as long as he's locating along as he's adjusting speeds, as long as he's, uh, you know, his mechanics are right. You know, he should be able to, to remain, uh, effective, you know, into, into his mid to late thirties. And I think that's why, again, look, seven years where Nola right now is that it's that's a lot like i get it it is and and i'm i do not i can't say at age 37 38 whatever i'm i'm sure he's going

to be good but i do think that that for the next few years and the heart of the important part of this this window that we're in right now i think it's a really smart move and you're getting him at 20 a little under 25 a year you know 24.9 or whatever it is i mean that's that's a really smart move and you're getting him a little under 25 a year, you know, 24.9 or whatever it is. I mean, that's a good price annually for the next four years of this window for Aaron Noah. Well, and I think it's one of my big concerns heading into this offseason when we started seeing the reports of, OK, maybe the trade of Castellanos, Reese Hoskins probably not coming back. Noah probably not coming back. Is that there

was a lot of Clubhouse Equity that was that was going to be leaving and I I think it's important to keep Phillies Phillies now you don't want to make the mistake they made in obviously you know 13 14 15 of holding on to guys too long but this is also a picture that's in the in the middle of his prime and is the end going to be probably really shaky yeah and do i have concerns about like i my biggest concern with nola is that he's just pitched a ton of innings yeah now by far the biggest concern now we've seen like scherzer through a ton of innings and these guys have thrown ton of tons of innings that have also you know pitched relatively well deep into their careers. So maybe he just kind of has that arm. And I think Zach Wheeler kind of has that arm as well.

So, you know, that's a concern. But at the same time, worst case scenario for year four, five, six of this deal is that he's going to be like a four or five star that at least is going to take the ball every day. Not sure how effective he's going to be, but whatever. I mean, you do. Innings are valuable. Like, I know people don't always want to hear, but innings are valuable like they are. And sometimes six innings and three runs is like really valuable. And not sometimes, all times, all times throughout a regular season.

Like it's when you get to the playoffs and you need to win big games, you need great outings where you need those guys to show up. But like, if you have a dude who's going to give you a six and three, which isn't a great ERA, isn't anything special, but I'll give you a six and three every time out that dude's super valuable, you know? And I, and Nola obviously can be better than that. And maybe as it gets to the end, he'll be more that, but like that, it's not exciting. It's not sexy.

But that's valuable. Hey, fantasy football owners. The road to winning your fantasy football championship starts now. I'm Matt Harmon from Reception Perception. Join me and James Coe as we take a deep dive into the position that's going to make or break your fantasy roster. Wide receivers. We analyze route running, target share, and all the metrics that matter,

giving you the insights you need to draft the best wide receivers we analyze route running target share and all the metrics that matter giving you the insights you need to draft the best wide receivers as you prep for your draft let us give you the coverage you need follow and listen to perception perception on the free odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts i do think people i think whenever these contracts come out people get so worried about the back end of it and it and it just it rarely ever really matters but it's these next four years are just imperative imperative to bring a title here like it's it's it's absolutely go time like it's a hundred percent go time for this organization say we got to win a title next five in the next four years i mean that's what this whole thing is gearing up towards that's what it's the only thing that is at the top of mind of not only Middleton,

but obviously Bryce. As it should be. All of them. The whole crew, they're all right there. They're all the window. It's a bunch of late 20s, early 30s guys. Like, this is it. This is their window.

This is their time to win. This is the time for them to capitalize while they're still in the prime or the back prime of their career. Like absolutely. And what the Phillies did today was ensure that they, they didn't take a step back. And I think that they got, I think they have a chance at getting a guy who would have been shocked if,

if Noel's an all-star next year. No, I think it'd be better this year than he was last year. I mean, this past year, I think he'll bounce back next year. I think, you know, he wasn't great for a majority of the season. He made the change.

He stepped up at the end. I think he had a nice moment here in this city where there, you know, his entire tenure, we've talked about so much. I mean, there were times, like we said, a month ago where people even didn't even want him back and then things change. But he's had up and down times here. And it hasn't always been

super apparent that that this fan base loves him and has love for him and i think he felt that i think you know i think there's it again you know it's something that we've talked about a lot that dobrowski's talked about a lot and and i believe in i i think you do too that you know not everyone can play in a city like this there are players who just aren't built for this type of intensity or this type of expectation or this type of pressure or whatever. And even though he's at ups and downs, we know that Aaron Nola can succeed in the biggest of moments in this city and can last in this city and can go through adversity

and bounce back in this city. And that in and of itself is valuable. Yeah, and I think that they're that in and of itself is valuable. Yeah. And I think that they're all still kind of figuring that out. I know it's a year or two of finally making the playoffs, but, you know, I think that they're going to make even more adjustments kind of as they, as they go along here. And I think that the more and more of these guys are in these kinds of

moments, you're going to see, hopefully them kind of, you know, figure it out. And, and eventually, dude, can't this is i see it it just came out i'm in the sun for those just listening to the pod and not watching all of a sudden it's just like beams of light just came onto jack's face and it's like right in his eyes right in your face it looks horrifying it does look horrible yeah it's really tough yeah it's it's i mean you're such a gamer though you're such a gamer though you know the light shining through is obviously a good sign about the no that's right

yeah that's exactly right yeah the light shining through is there a better example or sign that this was this was the right thing to do i it's just so funny that he's like he's the first free agent that has signed you know oh i know the first big money on the first bit. You're right. Yeah. He just had no interest, no interest in, in screwing around.

He's like, I want to be a Philly. My whole career. I'm it's so funny. It's the, one of the first things you said to me when we popped on the zoom before we are the, at this,

um, the video here before we talked to press and stuff, you're like, Aaron, Noel's going to be a Philly's whole career. It's like, wow. Yeah, you're right. Like, and that doesn't happen that often with you know guys of a certain level of player who you know just spend their whole career somewhere and have success and

like you said he'll be you know top of the board in a lot of key Philly pitching categories you know so it's uh yeah it's it's it's wild just to think that aaron nulla's here and he will be a lifetime philly a lifetimer like a lifer it's wild and and i i don't have this confirmed through through sources or anything but here's how i believe it went down is that um the braves called he thought about do i want to be a brave and and turn my back on the city of philadelphia and aaron nola said no alex anthropolis you're not i am not turning my back on the city of brotherly love and coming down and joining the atlanta brace and you know maybe maybe maybe even shrunk him along a little bit you know i'd say okay oh

i like that maybe you know yeah i like that because there would have been nothing there would have been nothing uh worse than one of those stupid freaking press releases that come out of nowhere oh i know with the brace and then it's like oh we got a got Aaron Bummer, who was 100% traded for just to get Schwarber and Harper out. So, you know, it would have been nothing worse than Aaron Nola. So in a perfect world, I think he drug them along a little bit and took them out of maybe signing or trading for a guy. But either way, I am happy he's not a Brave. That really would have left a complicated legacy for Aaron Nola, just like when Worth went to Washington.

Yeah, and it just would have been a sour taste in our mouths, especially this moment of Phillies Braves. It's one thing, like that's the thing, Worth went to the Nationals and they weren't good at that time, and then they got good, and he won a World Series there, and blah, blah, blah, all that stuff. But for Nola to go to like right now, like, oh, what did we talk about this whole season into the playoffs like the

phillies braves thing is is back and it is white freaking hot like we hate that there's real real sports hate going and a real thing a rivalry them winning the regular season us winning the playoffs last couple years like there's like animosity and hatred and dislike like for him to go in this moment to jump there like that would have been i feel like an extra you know kicking the junk as it were you know totally totally um and he didn't i'm just i'm shocked that he's i'm just shocked he's not i literally said on the radio yesterday yeah the camera came to me he's like what's going on with nola who do you think you like this Japanese guy and I was like yeah nola's gone it's like he's not gonna be here I was I thought he was gone I I so yeah um well what are the cardinals doing I mean what are the I mean rebuilding you need they should be re I mean you

needed a starter like Aaronola I mean he would have been perfect there yeah more of a smaller market they like he would have been adorable what a more of a smaller market. He would have been durable when he gave him quality innings. I just can't believe that they couldn't beat that offer. Or maybe they did. And he said no. And I think him turning down money to stay here, I think it buys Aaron Nola, obviously,

a little bit of a leash here where it's like, you wanted to be here and i think that that means something and back-to-back years of of him turner um saying i want to be affiliate like that that bodes so well for the for the future of this franchise and i do think that a lot of that has to obviously do with the fans i mean and the fans and how we've showed out in the ballpark the last couple years and uh the ovation stuff. Like I just, I hope this does lead to lead to, you know,

more free agents obviously coming on down, but getting Nola back in the fold for that contract, the years of the years, whatever. But for that deal, I mean, it does, it does lend their lend itself to going and getting another guy.

So the Nola thing is big, but like, if I would rather had Nola at 24 or even seven years, whatever, It lent itself to going and getting another guy. So the NOLA thing is big. But, like, if I would have rather had NOLA at 24 or even seven years, whatever, or Snell at, like, five but a higher AAV, I am a lower AAV guy. So whatever the tax, whatever. But, like, it does matter when it comes to going and getting players. 100% it does. Yeah, 100% it does.

And it's a great point. Like, it does get does. Yeah. A hundred percent. It does. It's a, and it's a great point. Like it does get more punitive. The more you go up those levels and, you know, John Middleton has shown he's super willing to spend. We're super lucky.