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Braves Sign Evan Phillips to Three-Year, $35 Million Deal

Atlanta announced the first big move of the baseball offseason on Thursday, signing the former Dodgers reliever to an $11 million, $11 million and $13 million contract and bringing him back to the club that drafted him in 2015.

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Braves Sign Evan Phillips to Three-Year, $35 Million Deal

Key points

  • The Atlanta Braves made the first significant move of the Major League Baseball offseason on Thursday, signing free agent reliever Evan Phillips to a three-year, $35 million contract, the club…
  • The deal was the biggest of the young winter.
  • Phillips will be paid $11 million in 2027, $11 million in 2028 and $13 million in 2029, USA Today reported.

The Atlanta Braves made the first significant move of the Major League Baseball offseason on Thursday, signing free agent reliever Evan Phillips to a three-year, $35 million contract, the club announced.

The deal was the biggest of the young winter. ESPN reporter Jeff Passan posted the agreement on X before the club announcement, and MLB Trade Rumors, USA Today, NBC Sports and The Score all reported the same terms on Thursday afternoon.

The money

Phillips will be paid $11 million in 2027, $11 million in 2028 and $13 million in 2029, USA Today reported. Announcing the signing, the club said Phillips would be donating 1 percent of his salary to the Atlanta Braves Foundation.

A return to where he started

Atlanta drafted Phillips in the 17th round in 2015, MLB Trade Rumors reported, and he made his major league debut for the Braves in 2018. He later pitched for Baltimore and Tampa Bay before Los Angeles claimed him, and he became a central part of the Dodgers bullpen after arriving in 2021, posting a 2.36 ERA across 232 regular season games for Los Angeles, USA Today reported.

He saved 24 games in one season and 18 in the next in back-to-back years as a late inning option for the Dodgers, NBC Sports reported. In the postseason he has made 15 appearances for Los Angeles without allowing a run, USA Today reported, and he picked up three holds and two wins during the Dodgers run to the 2024 World Series title.

Back from Tommy John surgery

Phillips missed the 2025 postseason after Tommy John surgery, USA Today reported. He returned in July 2026 and pitched in five games in this year's playoffs. Across the 2026 regular season he made 31 appearances for the Dodgers, with a 3.46 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 26 innings, The Score reported.

What it means for Atlanta

Atlanta finished 2026 with the second best bullpen ERA in the National League at 3.44, USA Today reported, even though closer Robert Suarez missed half the season. Phillips joins Suarez at the back end of that bullpen, with Dylan Lee and Dylan Dodd also in the mix for late innings.

Raisel Iglesias, who saved 34 games for Atlanta in 2026, is now a free agent after five seasons with the club, USA Today reported. NBC Sports noted that signing Phillips points to Iglesias pitching for a new team in 2027.

Timeline

  1. 2015The Atlanta Braves draft right hander Evan Phillips in the 17th round.
  2. 2018Phillips makes his major league debut for Atlanta.
  3. 2021Phillips arrives with the Los Angeles Dodgers and becomes a regular part of their bullpen.
  4. Nov 12, 2026Atlanta signs Phillips to a three-year, $35 million contract, with salaries of $11 million in 2027, $11 million in 2028 and $13 million in 2029.

Sources