Free-agent reliever Evan Phillips agreed to a three-year, $35 million deal with the Braves.
The right-hander returns to Atlanta where he broke into MLB in 2018 after appearing in 31 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season.
Phillips was part of the Dodgers’ championship team in 2024 but wasn’t on the World Series roster due to an arm injury sustained during the National League Championship Series.
He proved he was recovered from elbow ligament surgery that ended his 2025 season upon being activated before the All-Star break last season. He was 3-2 with a 3.46 ERA and had 33 strikeouts in 26 innings. Phillips also made five appearances in the postseason without allowing a run. He has never allowed a run in a playoff game (18 1/3 innings over 17 appearances).
Braves All-Star closer Raisel Iglesias is a free agent, and Phillips has 47 career saves.
The 32-year-old will make $11 million each of the next two seasons and $13 million in 2029. In the team’s official announcement of the deal, the Braves said Phillips committed to donating 1% of his salary to the team’s charitable foundation.
The Braves drafted Phillips in 2015 and called him up in 2018 before he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles.
Overall, Phillips is 19-14 with a 3.37 ERA in 281 games (one start) over nine total seasons.