Braves sign right-hander Evan Phillips to three-year, $35 million contract

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

The Atlanta Braves announced on Thursday that they have signed right-hander Evan Phillips to a three-year contract worth $35 million, a move that the team framed as a reinforcement for its relief corps. Phillips, 32, will earn $11 million each in 2027 and 2028 before his salary increases to $13 million in 2029.

Phillips’ agreement marks a return to Atlanta for a pitcher who was selected by the Braves in the 17th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He made his major-league debut with Atlanta in 2018, appearing in four games before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles as part of a six-player deal that brought Kevin Gausman to the Braves.

According to the Braves’ announcement, Phillips later returned to the major leagues after a period that included his release by Baltimore in August 2021. Following that release, he spent two weeks in the Tampa Bay Rays’ system before being acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers and transformed into a high-leverage bullpen option.

Phillips’ current deal follows a significant medical absence. The Braves said he missed 13 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2025. He returned to the majors in July 2026, and during that season he posted a 3.46 ERA over 26 innings while striking out 33 batters and recording one save for Los Angeles.

The contract’s timing also reflects Phillips’ established track record in the Dodgers bullpen prior to the procedure. The Braves noted that over six seasons with Los Angeles, Phillips compiled a 2.36 ERA, struck out 10.3 batters per nine innings, and recorded 24 saves in 2023 and 18 more in 2024, consistent with the reliever role the team has assigned him.

The Braves also pointed to Phillips’ postseason performance as part of the justification for the signing. In 18 1/3 career playoff innings, the team said Phillips has not allowed a run, a mark that the announcement said is surpassed in AL/NL history by only Joe Niekro with 20 playoff innings without yielding a run.

Performance details included in the announcement extended beyond run prevention. Even after his 13-month layoff, the Braves said Phillips averaged 96.8 mph with his fastball in 2026, ranking in the 85th percentile among qualifying pitchers. The team also described his off-speed and breaking-ball arsenal, including a sweeper that limited opponents to a 2-for-34 (.059) record against it in 2026.

Atlanta further said Phillips throws a cutter primarily to left-handed hitters and a sinker predominantly against right-hand batters. In 2026, the Braves reported that while Phillips was limited to half a season, batters chased his pitches at a career-high 35.4% rate, and his 31.1% strikeout rate was his best since 2022, when he posted a 1.14 ERA with 77 strikeouts across 63 innings.

With the three-year pact now in place, Phillips will join a Braves bullpen that has added to its depth by targeting a relief pitcher with major-league experience across multiple organizations, a high-leverage résumé, and a documented ability to limit damage in October. The team will have Phillips under contract through the 2029 season as he returns to the franchise that drafted him.