With $172 million star struggling, Phillies might make ‘extreme’ playoff correction

The Philadelphia Phillies have very little to worry about heading into the playoffs.

They have surged to the most wins in baseball this year thanks largely to one of the deepest rotations in the majors. But growing struggles from franchise veteran Aaron Nola, who has pitched for a 7.20 ERA so far in September, raise a surprising question for the postseason rotation.

After ace Zack Wheeler, Nola has been the team’s presumptive number-two starter, particularly after the lucrative long-term contract he signed over the offseason. But amid Nola’s struggles, first-time All-Star Cristopher Sánchez has maintained a 2.11 ERA at home, making a strong case to take Nola’s role if the Phillies earn a first-round playoff bye.

“It’s compelling enough to make the Phillies think,” Matt Gelb wrote of a potential playoff rotation shuffle for The Athletic. “Slotting Sánchez in Game 2 would enable him to pitch at home. It would also separate the righties and lefties in the Phillies’ rotation. But that might be too extreme a correction. Nola is in the first year of a $172 million contract. He’s the club’s longest-tenured player.”

On paper, there is a compelling case to anoint Sánchez as the team’s second playoff starter after Wheeler, particularly if Nola is unable to demonstrate a bounce back in his remaining starts of the regular season. However, such moves have been known to shake pitchers’ confidence. And Nola, in addition to being highly paid and highly experienced, made all of his postseason starts at home last year.

Ultimately, Wheeler, Nola, Sánchez and Ranger Suárez, make for one of Major League Baseball’s strongest postseason rotations, no matter how they are slotted.

“They know their four postseason starters,” Gelb added. “All four of them have been dominant for certain stretches this season. Most teams heading to October cannot boast the same situation.”

But as the Phillies seek to make good on World Series championship aspirations, no detail will be too small to consider as the regular season wraps up. Nola can still reassert himself as the team’s Game 2 starter before then, but further struggles will force the Phillies to consider what would have once seemed like an extreme correction.

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