CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Gabe Kapler figured why wait? Aaron Nola will be his first Opening Day starter as Philadelphia Phillies manager.
"Barring anything crazy happening, he's our guy. He is the man," Kapler said after Nola pitched two innings in his spring-training debut Sunday, an 8-3 loss to the New York Yankees.
Still, the 24-year-old right-hander wouldn't mind deferring to a more accomplished option should the Phillies sign one of the big-name free agents still available, such as Jake Arrieta or Lance Lynn.
"It would definitely be good to get another veteran," Nola said before Kapler's postgame announcement.