In free agency, a New Contender has emerged for the Philadelphia Phillies’ Ace.

The race to sign former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola in free agency appears to be heating up, which could spell the end of his tenure with the team.

The ancient adage “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” appears to apply perfectly to the situation with the Philadelphia Phillies and Aaron Nola.

The ace is definitely one of the best pitchers on the market, and other teams have stated their intent to actively pursue him.

When you combine this with the story from MLB insider Jon Morosi that the Phillies and Nola “aren’t close” to a reunion due to compensation disputes, the smoke that the right-hander will be playing for another team in 2024 appears to be starting to ignite.

Morosi now provides an update on the New York Yankees, who could become a big factor in the Nola saga.

“Yankees are among the most active teams in the starting pitching market, and sources say they’re showing early interest in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Aaron Nola, among others,” he wrote in a social-media post.

With big spenders entering the market to sign Philadelphia’s former ace, it appears much more probable that the Phillies will look elsewhere to replace his production.

However, Philadelphia will not simply withdraw from these sweepstakes.

Both sides are interested in getting together.

However, Nola’s hometown discount will not be extended to the Phillies. He wants to cash in on free agency this time because he believes he has earned top-tier money.

As New York enters the bidding for the ace, the asking price should rise, potentially preventing Philadelphia from re-signing their previous No. 7 overall choice.

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Aaron Nola Rumors: The Yankees are interested in Nola

This offseason, Aaron Nola is one of the top free agency pitchers available. While both Nola and Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski have expressed a desire to maintain their connection, it is clear that the former first-round choice will have a bevy of potential suitors this winter.

As Nola’s market develops, this tracker will be updated throughout the offseason.

Tuesday, November 14th, 10:49 a.m. ET: The New York Yankees, according to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi, “are among the most active teams in the starting pitching market.” They’re interested in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Nola.

Monday, November 13th, at 5 p.m. ET: According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals are “among teams showing early interest” in Nola as he enters free agency.

Monday, November 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET: MLB Trade Rumors announced its free-agent projections, and Nola is expected to sign a six-year, $150 million contract. Tim Dierkes, Anthony Franco, and Steve Adams, their three writers, all anticipate he will sign with the Cardinals.

He could sign with the Cardinals, but that offer appears to be low and one that the Phillies would match. While Nola may not receive $200 million in free agency, the final figure will be closer to $200 than $150.

Monday, November 6th, at 5 p.m. ET: The Phillies have extended Nola’s one-year, $20.325 million qualifying offer. More information on what this means may be found here.

Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Monday, Nov. 6 at 9 a.m. ET that the Cardinals “see Nola as a strong candidate for their improved rotation and intend to engage in talks with his representation.”

Sunday, November 5th, 12:30 p.m. ET: Several general managers told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale that they anticipate the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers will sign Nola. More information can be found here.

Sunday, November 5th, 11:00 a.m. ET: According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, some general managers in the league feel the Phillies will allow Nola to leave free agency and instead focus on presumptive NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.