Aaron Nola turns down Phillies’ qualifying offer, as expected

In the ideal Phillies offseason, as outlined by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, they would re-sign Aaron Nola and place him back alongside Zack Wheeler atop the starting rotation.

But if Nola signs elsewhere, the Phillies won’t lose him for nothing.

Nola, as expected, turned down a qualifying offer from the Phillies by Tuesday’s deadline. He’s looking for a multiyear contract on the free agent market, and the $20.325 million offer was for only 2024.

The Phillies’ offer, like Nola’s rejection, was strictly a formality. But it does guarantee that the Phillies will receive draft-pick compensation between the fourth and fifth rounds if he signs with another team, which in turn might make them more likely to replace him with a qualified free agent such as Blake Snell or Sonny Gray.

Since Nola, 30, reached the open market last week, reports have linked him with several teams, including the Yankees, Cardinals, and rival Braves. Atlanta must be considered a serious suitor given Nola’s close relationship with pitching coach Rick Kranitz, with whom he worked with the Phillies early in his career.