Aaron Nola is staying home, a big factor in his decision to remain with the Phillies

Since the Phillies called him up in 2015, Aaron Nola has lived in Center City. Eventually, he figures he’ll give in and move to the ‘burbs. But in 8½ years here, the kid from Louisiana has grown to enjoy the rhythms of the big city that became his adopted home.

And that’s what hit Nola hardest when he pondered his future.

The Phillies held a news conference Monday to announce Nola’s new seven-year, $172 million contract, the third-largest deal in franchise history and largest for a pitcher. When the formal program ended, the 30-year-old righty recalled the 17-day free agency — an eyeblink by baseball’s standards — that led him right back to where he left off.

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It began when he got home to his high-rise building after the Phillies were upset in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series.

“I wasn’t with Philly anymore, technically,” Nola said. “It was hard that night that we lost. I went home, just thinking about all the memories and stuff, it kind of rolled through my head. Looking at the city, I looked out the window and I was like, ‘Gosh, we might not be here.’ That’s the reality. We don’t know what we’re going to do.

“A big part of free agency is family, right? It’s the importance of where you’re going to be, if you have to pack up your stuff and go somewhere that you’ve never been or that you never expected. Luckily we’re back here. We know what we’re getting back into.”

Indeed, Nola’s comfort level in Philadelphia had as much to do with the completion of the deal as any factor, including the Phillies’ interest in keeping him away from the rival Braves, who made an early six-year, $162 million salvo. Nola said Philly was “the only place we had our eyes set on.”

Nola got drafted by the Phillies in the first round in 2014. He zoomed through the farm system and debuted 13 months later at Citizens Bank Park. He made six consecutive opening-day starts, the longest streak since Steve Carlton (1977-86). He ranks fifth in club history in strikeouts (1,582) and seventh in starts (235).

Like most players, Nola had a curiosity about free agency and passed on signing an extension with the Phillies in spring training. What he found when he reached the market was that he ranked among the top available pitchers, with NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

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Nola took Zoom meetings with a few interested teams. He received offers. But when his agent, Joe Longo, met with the Phillies on Nov. 8 at the general managers’ meetings in Arizona, he delivered a message.

“He made it apparent that Aaron would like to stay here,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “This was his priority. It didn’t preclude him going somewhere else. Somebody could make him an offer that he can’t refuse, I guess. We made it obvious we wanted him back. At that point, it really came down to trying to get the dollars and cents to work.”

And although Nola didn’t give exactly give the Phillies a discount, he understood that by agreeing to terms so early in the offseason (four days before Thanksgiving is akin to the second inning of a game) — and effectively setting the market for Snell and Yamamoto — he likely left money on the table.

“The priorities were where we wanted to set up our family,” said Nola, whose wife, Hunter, is expecting their first child in the offseason. “At the end of the day, you can’t worry about other players. They’re going to get what they want, and that’s their decision. We were going to make the decision based off what was comfortable for us.

“Because you are spending your next seven years in a place. You want to enjoy it. That’s why it was important for us to not run after the highest dollar. That doesn’t trump the importance of comfortability in a place that you enjoy and raise a family.”

Seven years is a long time for everyone, especially a team. Dombrowski conceded that the odds of any player getting injured increase with age. Nola leads all pitchers in starts (175) and ranks second in innings (1,065⅓) since 2018 because he has developed a workout routine that works. But none of that guarantees he won’t break down before 2030.

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“I hope I age well, for sure,” Nola said. “I’m going to do everything that I can to stay durable and take the ball every time they ask me to.”

General manager Sam Fuld said the Phillies were willing to bet on Nola because they know him and trust his work ethic. But they also didn’t love the alternatives, including Snell.

And they definitely didn’t want the Braves to steal him away.

“It was most important that we kept him for ourselves,” Dombrowski said, “but I sure wouldn’t have wanted him to go to Atlanta, either, or somebody that’s in our own division.”

The feeling, it turned out, was mutual. Nola said everything seemed “different” when the season ended for reasons that went beyond a stunning upset in Game 7.

Nola usually leaves a few things behind when he cleans out his locker. This year, he emptied his stall completely, just in case he wasn’t coming back.

“I guess I’ll go throw stuff back in there,” he said.

Just like he never left.