The Atlanta Braves have entered the free agent market during this abbreviated MLB offseason with the looming December 1 lockout.
As the Braves announced Thursday afternoon, they have signed reliever Evan Phillips to a three-year, $35 million contract after spending the last few seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Why are the Braves signing Phillips, a veteran reliever with a 3.37 career ERA, to such a significant contract? Well, after this move, the Braves might have one of the more deadly bullpens in Major League Baseball.
Why the Braves are signing Evan Phillips to a $35M contract
“The Atlanta Braves today signed RHP Evan Phillips to a three-year contract worth $35 million, with the right-hander set to make $11 million in the 2027 nd 2028 seasons, and $13 million in 2029,” the Braves announced Thursday.
Phillips joins one of the best bullpens in baseball and will factor into the reliever mix alongside Didier Fuentes, Robert Suarez, Dylan Lee, Ray Kerr, and Dylan Dodd, among others.
Phillips is a 32-year-old right-handed reliever who had a 3.46 ERA in 31 games for the Dodgers last season. He had a 1.14 ERA in 64 games back in 2022, and a 2.05 ERA in 62 games back in 2023.
But maybe the most appealing thing about Phillips as a new addition to this Braves bullpen is how dominant he is in the playoffs.
Across five different playoff runs, he’s made 17 appearances, going 18.1 innings of work with one save. In those games, he’s allowed just nine hits, 10 walks, and has struck out 24 batters. Most importantly, though, he has an incredible 0.00 ERA in the postseason.
Phillips joins the Atlanta bullpen, and with Raisel Iglesias still a free agent, it will be interesting to see if the Braves find a way to bring back the long-time Braves reliever to form an even better bullpen than the one they had last year.
This is a very nice addition for the Braves near the start of free agency, and he will be a huge help for the team’s bullpen for the next three years as the Braves contend for a World Series.
