Braves Bolster Bullpen With Three-Year, $35 Million Deal for Evan Phillips

Relief pitcher Evan Phillips has agreed to a three-year, $35 million contract to return to the Atlanta Braves.

The Atlanta Braves and free agent relief pitcher Evan Phillips agreed to a three-year, $35 million contract on Thursday. Phillips returns to the organization where he began his career in 2018 following a tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The veteran right-hander earned $6.5 million on a one-year deal last season, during which he posted a 3-2 record with a 3.46 ERA and 33 strikeouts across 26 innings.

After returning from Tommy John surgery in July, Phillips appeared in 31 games and finished the season with a 1.46 ERA over his final 14 appearances. During that closing stretch, he recorded 19 strikeouts in 12⅓ innings before making five scoreless postseason appearances. His recent injury history includes a rotator cuff injury in March 2025 and a subsequent surgical procedure in May 2025.

From 2022 to 2024, Phillips maintained a 2.21 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP while recording 44 saves and 206 strikeouts in 179 regular-season innings. Over nine MLB seasons with the Braves, Orioles, Rays, and Dodgers, he has compiled a 19-14 record with 47 saves and a 3.37 ERA in 281 career games.