Dodgers suffer first big offseason loss as former closer gets giant contract from Braves

Detailed summary

The Dodgers have suffered their first big free-agent loss of the offseason. Right-handed reliever and former closer Evan Phillips signed a three-year, $35 million deal with the…

The Dodgers have suffered their first big free-agent loss of the offseason.

Right-handed reliever and former closer Evan Phillips signed a three-year, $35 million deal with the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, bringing his six-year tenure in Los Angeles to a close.

Phillips, 32, was one of several longtime Dodgers relievers who hit the free agent market this offseason, along with Alex Vesia, Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen.

While he was a potential re-signing candidate for the club, he was also likely to end up elsewhere if he attracted a strong market.

In the end, he got an even bigger deal than he was projected to receive from a Braves club trying to rebound from its National League Division Series elimination to the Dodgers in October.

After originally joining the Dodgers as an unheralded waiver claim in 2021, Phillips blossomed as one of the club’s best relievers over the last half-decade.

From 2022 to 2024, he posted a 2.21 ERA with a team-high 44 saves. He played a key role on their 2024 World Series team, though he missed that year’s Fall Classic with a shoulder injury.

Phillips suffered another health setback in 2025, making only seven appearances before going down with an elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery.

However, he returned during the second half of this season and — after some initially inconsistent performances — regained his typically dominant form down the stretch, posting a 2.33 ERA in his final 24 appearances while also hitting 100 mph with his fastball at one point.

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