After Aaron Nola got married in Adairsville, Ga., on New Year’s Eve, he returned to Florida with his wife. Aaron and Hunter are simple people — they traveled the country last winter in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van that Nola hand-customized into a home for them — and they decided the honeymoon should be in the Florida Keys.

Nola remembered something Sheree McMullen, the Phillies’ masseuse, had told him. “If you go to the Keys,” she said, “you have to rent a convertible.” The mere idea is too flashy for a guy like Nola. But this was the trip to do it.

So, the newlyweds rented a white convertible. They relaxed near Big Pine Key. “It was my first time driving a convertible,” he said. “It was fun, man. It was awesome. The weather was immaculate.” He threw two bullpens before Feb. 1 — one fewer than usual — and arrived at the Phillies complex this spring as one of the more intriguing people to watch in camp.

Nola may not be flashy, but he’s been dependable at an elite level. He will be a free agent after the 2023 season. The Phillies have amassed the highest payroll in franchise history and continue to add to it — they announced on Friday a three-year extension for José Alvarado one day after Seranthony Domínguez received a two-year deal.

It’s natural to wonder where Nola, a homegrown top-of-the-rotation pitcher who turns 30 in June, fits. The Phillies have been thinking about it. They have engaged Nola’s camp in negotiations on a potential long-term extension, according to multiple major-league sources. They have exchanged offers. Team officials declined to comment on the progress of the talks, as did Nola’s agent, Joe Longo of Paragon Sports.

But there appears to be momentum to reach an agreement sometime this spring. Nola on Friday reiterated his desire to remain with the Phillies.