The Los Angeles Dodgers are bringing back right-handed reliever Evan Phillips, the team announced on Wednesday, in hopes of recapturing some of the upside from one of the game’s better relief arms following his Tommy John surgery.
Phillips, a long-time stalwart of the Dodgers’ bullpen, was non-tendered in November. He underwent surgery last May. He’s expected to miss at least the start of the 2026 season as he recovers, having just started playing light catch when the Dodgers opted not to give him a contract.
He will earn $6.5 million on a one-year deal, more than the $6.1 million he was projected to make in arbitration before the non-tender in November.
The team maintained interest in retaining Phillips throughout the winter, even as the two-time reigning World Series champions instead buttressed their bullpen by signing Edwin Díaz.
Still, Phillips hit the open market for the first time at 31 years old, hoping his recent track record before his injury would allow him to cash in on a long journey to success.
Drafted in the 17th round of the 2015 draft out of UNC-Wilmington by the Braves, Phillips made his debut in 2018 for Atlanta before being dealt to the Baltimore Orioles for Kevin Gausman.
Midway through the 2021 season, Phillips was released by the Orioles, signed and released by the Tampa Bay Rays, then claimed by the Dodgers, all within two weeks.
The Dodgers found a way to tap into Phillips’ talents. They took a slider that already had intriguing characteristics and, with the help of assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness, refined it into one of the best sweepers in the sport. He incorporated a cutter and two-seam fastball to try to combat his woes against left-handed hitters.
Phillips morphed into one of the game’s more dominant relievers. From 2022-24, Phillips posted a 2.21 ERA over 187 games (179 innings), converting 44 saves in the process.
Phillips was particularly effective against right-handed hitters, his sweeper serving as his primary weapon. Among relievers who faced righties at least 200 times between 2022 and 2024, Phillips held those hitters to the fifth-lowest batting average (.152).
Phillips has also been dominant in the playoffs, where he owns a career 0.00 ERA over 12 games (five series), with 21 strikeouts against seven walks.