Cody Snavely
The Dodgers’ most significant need this offseason is starting pitching. While we could cover the trade market for arms such as Tyler Glasnow, Corbin Burnes, or Dylan Cease, the Dodgers could also use their pocketbook this winter.
According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, one arm that will be a hot commodity this winter is Phillies ace Aaron Nola and a reunion with Philly seems very unlikely.
GMs believe that the Phillies will let Nola walk, and will turn their attention to Blake Snell, who’s about to win his second Cy Young award. This would leave Nola going to either St. Louis, Atlanta, Texas, or perhaps the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Via Bob Nightengale CBS Sports
Aaron Nola is a name many baseball fans know now due to the Phillies’ postseason push in 2022 and 2023. Nola had a down season for his standards in 2023, posting a 4.46 ERA while also allowing a career-high 32 home runs. However, when it mattered most, Nola became the lockdown pitcher many knew as he was dominant against the Marlins, Braves, and Diamondbacks this October.
Why Nola makes sense for LA
Well, for starters, the Dodgers’ current rotation is razor thin due to injuries and starters such as Walker Buehler being put on a potential innings limit as he recovers from his second-career Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers need a workhorse, and Aaron Nola has shown to be that workhorse.
Since 2017, Aaron Nola has pitched every start, going at least 190-200 innings each year, and has been a dependable starter for the Phillies. Besides a hiccup last season, Nola has been in the conversation for the NL Cy Young award and has shown only to get better as the year goes on. The Dodgers, who are desperate for a veteran presence to not only eat innings but give quality innings, could pivot to Nola if they miss out on other arms in free agency or the trade market.
This year’s free agent class is expected to be thin in the pitching department, which likely means many arms will be signing for way over their estimated value. It was also reported last spring that the Phillies and Nola were one hundred million dollars apart in terms of contract talks, which still seems to be how things stand. Other teams also need starting pitching and may be more desperate than the Dodgers, such as the Cardinals, who have been heavily linked to Nola since last year.
Why the Dodgers will be hesitant
While the Dodgers signing Nola would help solve the problem of a lack of starting pitching, Nola was one of a few players to receive the qualifying offer, meaning if LA signs him, they will lose a draft pick. The Dodgers, under Andrew Freidman, have been hesitant to sign players linked to the qualifying offer as, similar to smaller market teams, they like to keep their draft picks and pivot to solve their problems elsewhere.
However, The Dodgers are also in unfamiliar territory after embarrassing losses in the NLDS to NL West opponents in back-to-back years. The team may have to change their philosophies to overcome the October blues. With the need for starters as big as it is in LA, the Dodgers may have to bite the bullet by losing a potential draft pick.
Conclusion
The Dodgers need starters, and signing Aaron Nola would fill that void immediately. Still, with how the free agent market is shaping up and the Dodgers’ current pursuit of Shohei Ohtani, I expect the Dodgers to look at the trade market for pitching. However, I am fully on board with courting the Phillies star in hopes of giving us much-needed postseason success come October.
