Relief stalwart Phillips inks 3-year deal with Braves

By Theo Derosa, Braves.com

ATLANTA – The Braves added a quality piece to their bullpen ranks on Thursday, signing right-hander Evan Phillips to a three-year, $35 million contract. 

Phillips, 32, who pitched for Los Angeles from 2021-26, will make $11 million in both ’27 and ’28, and then $13 million in ’29, the team announced.

The signing represents a homecoming for Phillips, who was taken by the Braves in the 17th round of the 2015 Draft. He debuted with Atlanta in 2018 and pitched in four games before he was traded to the Orioles in a six-player deal that brought Kevin Gausman to the Braves.

After posting a 7.36 ERA in three seasons, he was released by Baltimore in August 2021 and spent two weeks in the Rays’ system before being picked up by the Dodgers and turned into a major relief weapon.

Not even Tommy John surgery could take Phillips out of a leverage role in the Dodgers’ bullpen for good. Phillips missed 13 months after undergoing the procedure in June 2025, but he returned to the Majors in July 2026 and continued to put up solid numbers. Phillips had a 3.46 ERA in 26 innings of work, striking out 33 and earning one save for Los Angeles.

Those numbers are right in line with what the 32-year-old has done in his nine-year career. Phillips posted a 2.36 ERA across six seasons with L.A., striking out 10.3 batters per nine innings while picking up 24 saves in 2023 and 18 more in ’24. He has been a dominant force in the postseason, pitching 18 1/3 career playoff innings without giving up a run — a mark surpassed in AL/NL history by only Joe Niekro (20 frames).

Even after his lengthy absence, Phillips still averaged 96.8 mph with his fastball in 2026, ranking in the 85th percentile among qualifying pitchers. The righty also throws a nasty sweeper — opposing hitters went 2-for-34 (.059) against the pitch in 2026 — as well as a cutter mostly thrown to left-handed hitters and a sinker predominantly used against righties.

Although he was limited to half a season in ’26, Phillips got hitters to chase at an elite 35.4% clip, a career high. His 31.1% strikeout rate was his best since 2022, when Phillips posted a 1.14 ERA with 77 strikeouts in just 63 innings.