The Dodgers are facing a busy free-agent ledger, and one of the biggest bullpen calls sitting in front of them involves a familiar arm: Evan Phillips.
Eight Dodgers free agents officially reached the open market on Thursday, and seven of them are pitchers. That leaves Los Angeles with some obvious work to do as it looks ahead to the 2027 roster. Among that group, Phillips, along with Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen, stands out as one of the relievers the Dodgers could realistically try to keep in the fold.
Spotrac pegs Phillips’ market at one year and $9 million in free agency.
That figure comes on the heels of a strong season in his return from Tommy John surgery. The 32-year-old right-hander made 31 appearances and posted a 3.46 ERA over 26 innings, striking out 33 and walking just six. He was just as sharp when the lights got brighter, throwing three shutout innings across five postseason appearances.
Phillips has been a Dodger since 2021, and over six seasons in Los Angeles he’s carved out a reputation as one of the sport’s best fireman relievers. His career numbers with the club back that up: a 2.36 ERA with 254 strikeouts across 221 innings.
The postseason has been even cleaner. In 17 career playoff appearances, Phillips still hasn’t allowed a run. He’s thrown 18.1 scoreless innings to open his postseason career.
Those kinds of numbers are the reason the Dodgers may want to act quickly. They signed Phillips to a one-year, $6.5 million deal last offseason with the understanding he would miss the beginning of the year while recovering from surgery. Now that he’s healthy again, a raise makes sense - and it wouldn’t be a shock if Los Angeles is the team that pays it to keep him in a role where he can enter in almost any situation and bail the Dodgers out.
A longer deal also fits the picture. At 32, Phillips would have every reason to want more security than a one-year contract can offer, especially with the uncertainty that comes with relievers. The expectation here is that the Dodgers do bring him back, with a two-year arrangement that keeps him where he’s already made his name.
A deal in the $14-16 million range over two years feels like the sweet spot for both sides.
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