Aaron Nola's Struggles Highlight Another Problem For Phillies

The 2026 season for the Philadelphia Phillies ended on Thursday night, and now this team enters an offseason with a lot of questions to answer.

Philadelphia fell short in its bid to upset the Atlanta Braves in the National League wild-card series, losing in three games. But the Phillies did put up a fight in the series, which is more than some expected from them entering it.

After a rough September slump, the Phillies stumbled into the playoffs on the final day of the regular season. Philadelphia was forced to move its starting rotation around because of this, causing real issues in the series with the Braves.

But now the Phillies' year comes to an end, and this team has some problems to address. While the starting rotation has been a strength for Philadelphia at times, there may be a concern to address.

Veteran right-hander Aaron Nola struggled for most of the season this year, and his issues came to a head in Game 3 against the Braves. Nola got the start, hoping to keep the season alive for the Phillies.

But the right-hander was pulled after just 1.2 innings, with him allowing three runs to Atlanta. The issues that Nola saw throughout the year are telling, and they speak to a potentially larder problem for Philadelphia.

Nola still has four more seasons left on his seven-year, $172 million deal that he signed before the 2024 season. The right-hander is scheduled to make $24.5 million each season, but since he signed the deal, his numbers have ballooned.

Here are how Nola's numbers have looked since signing his massive contract:

2024: 3.57 ERA, 33 starts, 199.1 innings, 197 strikeouts, 1.20 WHIP

2025: 6.01 ERA, 17 starts, 94.1 innings, 97 strikeouts, 1.35 WHIP

2026: 4.67 ERA, 33 starts, 175.1 innings, 177 strikeouts, 1.35 WHIP

The issues that Nola has seen over the last few years are concerning for the Phillies, and they aren't indicative of the player that Philadelphia believed it would be getting when they signed him. Given that this team has a large payroll already, his contract could become a problem if his struggles were to continue.

After another early playoff loss, Philadelphia may look to shed some salary, or make changes to the roster. Nola could be one of those moved, and opposing teams may still believe that he can make a difference.

In August, Nola did record a 2.65 ERA over six starts, helping the Phillies stay alive in the playoff race. His stuff on the mound can still work, but the overall ongoing issues raise a bigger question about his future in Philadelphia.