Aaron Nola‘s deal with the Phillies took some criticism from other agents.

Each step forward matters as players fight for every dollar in arbitration, particularly at a time when free agency is less of a sure thing. A $4 million salary and $2 million signing bonus means Nola will earn $6 million in 2019, just $700,000 less than he requested in arbitration — a sum that, in his mind, evidently was not large enough to merit going to a hearing. The Phillies almost certainly would have noted that Severino asked for $1.45 million less, complicating Nola’s case.

Fair enough, but here’s the problem: The $6 million Nola will earn under his new deal in 2019 will not affect future first-time eligible starting pitchers in arbitration. The comparison no longer is apples to apples when players sign long-term.

TheAthletic.com

So Nola was not fighting for more money for his fellow players (and their agents). Nola was concerned about other things:

So, why did Nola, who is represented by Joe Longo of Paragon Sports, accept the Phillies’ offer and potentially sacrifice untold millions? At a news conference Thursday in Clearwater, Fl., Nola said he does not play solely or specifically for money. And that view, as The Athletic’s Meghan Montemurro reports, is supported by his family.

All players who receive long-term offers during their arbitration years must perform a risk analysis, weighing a life-changing guarantee against the upside of going year to year and becoming a free agent sooner. For pitchers especially, long-term security is tempting. While Nola threw a career-high 212 1/3 innings last season, he missed the final two months of 2016 with a strained right elbow, and he knows he could be one pitch away from a more serious injury.

It’s a tough choice, especially when a lot of players feel they are being devalued. It is very difficult to turn down a deal that leaves one set for life.