Braves appear to have dodged $172 million bullet in free agency
In baseball, especially for clubs that do not have a limitless payroll like the Dodgers or Mets, the deals you don’t make can sometimes be even more important than the ones you do.
For the Braves, there have been several examples of this. At the 2017 trade deadline, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Atlanta went hard after Jose Quintana, including Ozzie Albies and more in their offer. Thankfully, the Cubs said no thanks, or the Braves would have netted a player that pitched to the tune of a 4.36 ERA over the next three seasons for a three-time All-Star second baseman that went on to sign one of the most team-friendly contracts in the league.
More recently, the Braves were in on Aaron Nola a couple of offseasons ago, with ESPN’s Jeff Passan calling them a “real threat” to land the All-Star pitcher.
“The Braves, off back-to-back 100-win seasons and divisional-round ousters by the Phillies, made a six-year, $162 million offer to Nola out of the chute, a source said Sunday. It was a sensible starting point. Atlanta’s bid equaled the Yankees’ deal with free-agent lefty Carlos Rodón last winter.”
Had the Braves put pen to paper with Aaron Nola, the contract would have nearly tripled the largest ever handed out by current general manager Alex Anthopoulos.
At the time, his thinking was rather clear. Nola, while not quite an ace, had proven to be a workhorse. From 2018 to 2023, he never missed a start, a rarity in today’s game when injuries to pitchers almost feel inevitable.
However, just a couple of years into Nola’s $172 million contract with the Phillies, and there might already be some buyer’s remorse. The 32-year-old boasts a gaudy 6.52 ERA and has missed three months due to various injuries.
Over the next five seasons, Nola is owed nearly $125 million. It is a contract that has quickly soured and looks like one of the worst in baseball. The kind of contract that would slam most team’s chances at the postseason completely shut.
The Phillies can afford a significant gaffe like this, given their willingness to spend. But had the Braves made this deal, we’d likely be talking about a full-blown rebuild heading into 2026.
