The Dodgers’ bullpen just took a real hit.
Evan Phillips, one of the most important free agents on Los Angeles’ board this offseason, is headed to an NL rival after the Atlanta Braves announced Thursday that they signed the right-handed reliever to a three-year, $35 million deal. The contract is set to pay Phillips $11 million in 2027 and 2028, then $13 million in 2029.
Phillips was one of nine Dodgers free agents this winter, and he leaves behind a major vacancy in the middle of the bullpen. The 32-year-old arrived in Los Angeles midway through the 2021 season and quickly turned into one of the club’s most dependable arms after early struggles with the Braves, Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays.
His rise with the Dodgers was immediate. In his first full season with the team in 2022, Phillips logged a career-high 64 appearances and posted a 1.14 ERA with 77 strikeouts across 63 innings. He stayed sharp in 2023, finishing with a 2.05 ERA in 62 outings.
Phillips worked 61 more games in 2024 and had a 3.62 ERA before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2025. The Dodgers non-tendered him last offseason, then brought him back on a one-year, $6.5 million deal. He returned in July and closed out the regular season with a 3.46 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 26 innings.
Before landing in Los Angeles, Phillips carried a 7.26 ERA early in his career. With the Dodgers, he became a true fireman - the guy who could walk into a mess and clean it up.
That showed up in October, too. He made 17 career postseason appearances for the Dodgers and did not allow a run over 18.1 innings.
In all, Phillips leaves the Dodgers with a 2.36 ERA over 221 innings in 232 regular-season appearances.
His departure leaves Los Angeles with work to do. Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen are also free agents, and the team will need to sort out who fills Phillips’ old role.
Internally, the Dodgers are expected to keep leaning on Edgardo Henriquez as their best right-handed reliever behind Edwin Diaz. Will Klein and Brock Stewart are the clearest in-house candidates to step into Phillips’ spot, while Kyle Hurt and Ben Casparius could be asked to take on larger roles and grow into higher-leverage arms.
A bullpen addition still remains on the table, too. General manager Brandon Gomes suggested as much at this week’s general managers’ meetings.
"Bullpen is probably an opportunistic thing, and looking at who fits within our group," Gomes said to reporters. "We have a lot of really young, talented guys that you could go out and give reps to and see who emerges.
We didn’t expect Edgardo to be on the team coming out of the season, but he pitched himself into a high-leverage role. So it’s balancing that, making sure you have enough depth, but also some opportunity for young guys to really emerge."
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