Ahead of his final season under club control and with a salary expected to top $6 million via arbitration in 2026, reliever Evan Phillips was not awarded a contract for next year by the Dodgers Friday, but president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the team was still interested in re-signing him as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
“We’ve had a number of discussions with Evan and his agent,” Friedman said via text message. “It’s a challenge to see him come off surgery, so he’s going to take some time off and look to sign after he gets off the mound when his rehabilitation allows. Evan has played a big role in our past success and we will continue the conversation about his return. We respect that he is taking this time to decide what is best for him and his family.”
Advertisement
Friday’s decision — which will make Phillips a free agent — reflects uncertainty surrounding the pitcher’s status for next season following the Tommy John procedure he had last June.
Learn more: Dodgers boss Andrew Friedman part of team to advise Lakers on ownership transition
Phillips’ recovery process is expected to extend at least until early next year. We do not yet know how many it will be able to launch in 2026.
Because of this, the Dodgers were faced with a decision before MLB’s no-tender deadline Friday: keep Phillips on the roster and pay him approximately $6.1 million. MLB Trade Rumors expected he would receive as part of the arbitration process. Or release him and try to re-sign him (probably at a lower salary) this offseason.
Advertisement
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 part of the Dodgers bullpen since the team claimed him off waivers near the end of the 2021 season.
In 2022, he was one of the best relievers in baseball, posting a 1.14 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 63 innings. He had a 2.05 ERA and 24 saves the following season, before regressing to 3.62 in 2024.
Despite this decline, the right-hander still played a crucial role in the club’s 2024 World Series, pitching 6⅔ scoreless innings in the postseason before missing the game. World Series with a shoulder injury.
Advertisement
Learn more: Shaikin: The mayor’s take on the Dodger Stadium gondola project? We didn’t figure it out in 21 seconds
That injury, which Phillips said included a tear in the back of his rotator cuff, caused him to miss the first few weeks of last season.
Phillips finally made his debut in the 2025 season on April 19, but recorded only seven appearances (all scoreless) before going on injured reserve in early May with forearm discomfort. At the time, Phillips hoped the move to the IL was just a “precautionary” measure and that he could return later in the season.
Instead, his forearm pain persisted. And by the end of May, the severity of his injury had become frustratingly clear.
Advertisement
Phillips underwent his Tommy John surgery, which typically comes with a 12 to 18 month recovery time, on June 3.
“(His arm) wasn’t really responding,” general manager Brandon Gomes said at the time. “We thought that might be a possibility. So as it got deeper into the process and things weren’t really improving, the decision to do it was pretty obvious with our information.”
Learn more: The Dodgers need an outfielder. Cody Bellinger is a free agent. Would a reunion be possible?
Phillips started throwing again on November 5, he announced on Instagram. The Dodgers would still like him to be part of the mix in their bid for a Three rounds of the World Series in 2026.
Advertisement
But it will now take a new contract to achieve this.
In addition to Phillips, the Dodgers also decided not to tender a contract to 27-year-old pitcher Nick Frasso on Friday. Frasso, a former prospect who struggled in Triple-A upon his return from shoulder surgery last season, had yet to make his MLB debut.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story was originally published in Los Angeles Times.
