Phillies $172 million pitcher has gone from ace to 'untradeable' in two years

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Phillies $172 million pitcher has gone from ace to 'untradeable' in two years originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Philadelphia Phillies are having a bit of a rough season in 2026, though things have begun to go in the right direction since Rob Thomson was fired and Don Mattingly took over.

While there might be some positives coming out this season, with the return to elite form of Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber proving the $150 million contract was the right move, and Brandon Marsh emerging as a star, there is one issue that's been confirmed.

A few years ago, the Phillies re-signed Aaron Nola to a $172 million contract in free agency, in a move that was, at the time, the right one. But, just two years later, Nola is an "untradeable" contract according to Fansided.com's Zachary Rotman.

"The fact that he's a starting pitcher helps boost his value a bit, as every team could use more starting pitching, but the length of this deal, paired with his declining ability and stuff, makes it very hard to move, and that's without mentioning his no-trade clause," Rotman writes.

Nola was an elite pitcher from 2017 through 2024, but ever since signing his $172 million deal, he's become a total disaster for the Phillies, and that expensive deal has made Nola someone the Phillies couldn't trade even if they wanted.

Aaron Nola has become truly untradeable​

This season, Nola has been a bit better than he was last year. But, he still has a 5.14 ERA in eight starts. While it's been rough in 2026, it was even worse in 2025.

Last year, he posted a 6.01 ERA in 17 starts while dealing with injury issues in the middle of the season. That was year-one of this $172 million deal, and it already seemed untradeable.

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But now, with Nola continuing to struggle this season, his massive contract and signs of regression have him as one of the most untradeable players in MLB, even without factoring in his no-trade clause.

The Phillies are stuck with Nola through the 2030 season and will have to hope that he can turn things around. Otherwise, this $172 million deal will age even worse than Taijuan Walker's $72 million contract.

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