Evan Phillips is on the move. The 32-year-old right-handed relief pitcher signed a three-year, $35 million deal with the Atlanta Braves on the Thursday, Nov. 12, putting an end to his six-year run with the Los Angeles Dodgers that began when they claimed him off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays in August 2021.
In that time, Phillips became one of manager Dave Roberts' most trusted high-leverage arms, posting a 2.37 ERA over 224 innings pitched with 256 strikeouts compared to just 58 walks and a 0.95 WHIP. Phillips finished in the top 10 in the NL in saves in both 2023 and 2024.
His best work, however, came in October.
He has not allowed a run over 18⅓ innings in 17 career postseason outings with 24 strikeouts and was a key member of the "Dawgs"
bullpen that carried the Dodgers to the 2024 World Series. Phillips missed most of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery that May, but returned to form in July, posting a 1.08 WHIP with a 3.46 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 26 innings in 31 appearances.
Phillips' fastball looked better than ever in 2026, averaging a career-high 96.9 mph and topping out at triple digits for the first time in his career. His sweeper, however, is where he does the most damage, drawing a 39.5% strikeout rate and a 34.3% whiff rate while holding batters to just .059 against it.
Evan Phillips, K'ing the Side in the 7th pic.twitter.com/f9SNROIBj2
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 12, 2026
But more than any stat that can be quantified, the Dodgers are losing a clubhouse leader in Phillips, and they could soon lose even more than that considering Alex Vesia's robust free-agent market. There are free agents out there for the Dodgers to pursue, though top-end names such as Adrian Morejon and Raisel Iglesias seem unlikely. Brusdar Graterol hasn't pitched in a game since 2024, but he could be a candidate to return.
The Dodgers do have other high-leverage arms already in-house that they trust as well. Jack Dreyer and Edgardo Henriquez, in particular, could both be in line for more responsibilities.
Though losing Phillips is a blow to LA's pen, they do have other avenues to explore at the position.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How big of a loss is Evan Phillips for the Los Angeles Dodgers?
