The Atlanta Braves made the first significant transaction of the Major League Baseball offseason, signing free agent reliever Evan Phillips to a three-year, $35 million, the team announced on Thursday, Nov. 12.
It's a return to Atlanta for Phillips, who was drafted by the Braves in 2015 and made his MLB debut for the club in 2018. The 32-year-old right-hander had been an integral part of the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen since arriving in 2021, posting a 2.36 ERA in 232 regular season games for Los Angeles.
Atlanta had the second-best bullpen ERA (3.44) in the National League in 2026 despite being without $45 million closer Robert Suarez for half the season. The addition of Phillips further solidifies the back end of the Braves bullpen with Dylan
Lee and Dylan Dodd also in the mix for high-leverage innings ahead of Suarez.
Phillips has also made 15 postseason appearances for the Dodgers, without surrendering a single run. He picked up three holds and two wins in the team's 2024 World Series run, but missed the 2025 postseason after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He returned in July 2026 and pitched five games in this year's playoffs.
Raisel Iglesias, who saved 34 games for the Braves in 2026, is a free agent after spending five seasons with the club.
Evan Phillips contract details
Announcing the signing, the club said Phillips would be donating 1% of his salary to the Atlanta Braves Foundation.
- 2027: $11 million
- 2028: $11 million
- 2029: $13 million
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Atlanta Braves drop $35 million on reliever Evan Phillips
