The Atlanta Braves have made the first big splash in free agency by signing former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips to a three-year, $35 million deal.
The Braves announced in a press release that Phillips will make $11 million in 2027 and 2028, and $13 million in 2029. He will also donate 1% of his salary to the Atlanta Braves Foundation.
The Braves originally drafted Phillips in the 2015 MLB Draft, and he made his MLB debut with them in 2018. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles that same year in a deal that landed the Braves Kevin Gausman and Darren O'Day. Since then, he has also played for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He has been with the Dodgers since 2021 and has been key in their success. Since joining the Dodgers, he has posted a 2.36 ERA in 232 games. From 2022-2024, he pitched in 187 games with a 2.21 ERA and notched 44 saves. In 2025, he underwent Tommy John surgery and did not return until July of last season.
Last season, he ended up pitching in 31 regular-season games with a 3.46 ERA. He also threw three scoreless innings in the postseason.
Phillips is 32 years old and still has some good baseball left in him. The Braves won't need him to close games, as they already have Robert Suárez, who is very capable of closing games if Raisel Iglesias leaves in free agency. If Iglesias does return, the Braves will have an even better bullpen than last season, with Phillips now in the mix as well.
Phillips won the World Series with the Dodgers in 2024, throwing 6 2/3 scoreless innings in the postseason. He was injured for the World Series run in 2025, however.