The Dodgers are heading into an offseason with plenty to sort out, and one familiar name could be part of the answer in the bullpen.
Will Laws of Sports Illustrated is predicting Los Angeles will bring back right-hander Evan Phillips on a one-year, $10 million deal. Phillips is one of nine Dodgers free agents this offseason, and one of four relief pitchers on that list.
Phillips just finished his sixth season in Los Angeles, and while he may not sit at the very top of the team’s priority board, he still looks like a logical fit if the Dodgers want to keep adding depth behind their established late-inning arms. Los Angeles already has back-end stability for 2027 with Edwin Diaz and Tanner Scott, but Phillips has handled the fireman role before and could slide back into that job again.
His 2026 season was interrupted by Tommy John surgery, but he returned in July and looked close to himself. In 26 innings, he posted a 3.46 ERA with a 25.5% K-BB rate and even picked up a tick in fastball velocity.
Nicholas Selbe wrote, "Phillips returned from Tommy John surgery in July and was largely his old self again. He had a 3.46 ERA in 26 innings, with a stellar 25.5% K-BB rate while gaining a tick on his fastball velocity," Selbe added, "He posted a career-worst home run rate (1.73 HR/9), though that’s a stat that ranks among the noisiest for pitchers year to year.
Assuming that normalizes going forward, he should be an attractive high-leverage piece for an above-average bullpen."
Phillips also got October work for the Dodgers, appearing in five postseason games and not allowing a run over three innings while striking out three.
Before the injury issues, he was one of the most reliable arms in the bullpen. From 2022 through 2024, Phillips put together a 2.21 ERA with 206 strikeouts, a 0.91 WHIP and a 186 ERA+ across 187 appearances and 179 innings. He also went 14-8 with 44 saves during that stretch.
The last two seasons have been much more limited because of injuries. Phillips appeared in only 38 games and threw 31.2 innings over that span, finishing with a 2.87 ERA, 39 strikeouts and a 1.07 WHIP.
Before his run with the Dodgers, Phillips also spent time with the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays.
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