Heading into his final season under club control, with his 2026 salary expected to top $6 million through arbitration, the reliever Evan Phillips did not receive a contract for next year from Dodgers on Friday, but the president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the team is still interested in re-signing him as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
“We have had several discussions with Evan and his agent,” Friedman said in a text message. “He's struggling after surgery, so he'll need some time and observation to sign after he hits the mound when his rehab allows. Evan has played a big role in our past success, and we'll continue to talk about his return. We respect that he's taking this time to decide what's best for him and his family.”
Friday's decision that Phillips will become a free agent reflects uncertainty about the pitcher's status next season after Tommy John procedure he did in June last year.
Phillips' recovery process is expected to last until at least early next year. How much he will be able to offer in 2026 is unclear.
That leaves the Dodgers faced with a decision before MLB's non-tender deadline on Friday: keep Phillips on the roster and pay him $6.1 million or so to MLB trade rumors predicted what he would receive as part of the arbitration process. Or let him go and try to re-sign him (probably for less) this offseason.
The club chose the latter. Now only time will tell if Phillips' productive tenure in Los Angeles will continue.
Phillips, 31, has been a key member of the Dodgers bullpen since the team placed him on waivers near the end of the 2021 season.
He was one of the best relievers in baseball in 2022, posting a 1.14 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 63 innings. The following season he had a 2.05 ERA and 24 saves, before falling to a 3.62 mark in 2024.
Despite this slump, the right-hander still played a critical role in the club's 2024 World Series run, pitching 6⅔ scoreless innings that postseason before missing World Series with a shoulder injury.
That injury, which Phillips later said included a tear in the back of his rotator cuff, caused him to miss the early weeks of last season.
Phillips eventually made his 2025 season debut on April 19, but appeared in just seven games (all scoreless) before going on the injured list with forearm discomfort in early May. At the time, Phillips hoped that being on the IL was only a “precautionary” measure and that he would be able to return later in the season.
Instead, the pain in my forearm continued. And by the end of May, the full extent of his injury became depressingly obvious.
On June 3, Phillips underwent the Tommy John procedure, which typically has a recovery time of 12-18 months.
“[His arm] wasn’t really responsive,” general manager Brandon Gomez said at the time. “We felt it was possible. So as he got deeper into the process and the situation didn't really improve, the decision to do that became pretty much obvious based on our information.”
Phillips began throwing again on November 5, he announced on Instagram. The Dodgers would still like him to be part of their bid. Three-peat World Series in 2026.
However, this will now require a new contract.
In addition to Phillips, the Dodgers also decided Friday not to offer a contract to 27-year-old pitcher Nick Frasso. Frasso, a former prospect who has struggled in Triple-A since returning from shoulder surgery last season, has yet to make his MLB debut.
