Evan Phillips was among the arbitration-eligible players who was tendered a contract by the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline last November, which kept him and others under team control.
They also did so with Anthony Banda, Brusdar Graterol, Michael Kopech and Alex Vesia. L.A. previously avoided arbitration with Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May by agreeing to one-year contracts for the 2025 season.
The deadline for players and teams to exchange salary figures was Thursday at 10 a.m. PT, which led to plenty of activity.
According to Jack Harris of the L.A. Times, Phillips and the Dodgers agreed to a one-year contract to avoid arbitration:
The Dodgers and Evan Phillips have agreed to a $6.1 million contract for next year to avoid arbitration, per source
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) January 9, 2025
Phillips was eligible for arbitration a second time. MLB Trade Rumors projected Phillips’ salary for the 2025 season to be in the neighborhood of $6.2 million.
The 30-year-old is coming off an inconsistent year as he went 5-1 with a 3.62 ERA, 3.28 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, 10.4 strikeouts per nine and 18 saves in 54.2 innings pitched (61 games).
Phillips particularly struggled after the All-Star break as he posted a 4.68 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 30 appearances. Phillips was dominant in August but had a rough finish to his 2024 season as he posted a 5.40 ERA over his last 11 games.
Phillips did bounce back with 6.2 scoreless innings in the National League Division Series and Championship Series, but a right arm injury prevented him from being included on the Dodgers’ World Series roster.
Evan Phillips’ outlook for 2025 season
Phillips remains under team control through the 2026 season and once again should be a significant contributor in the Dodgers bullpen this year.
Phillips presumably will continue being used in high-leverage situations and should receive some save opportunities as well.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently suggested the hope is Phillips will he healthy for the start of the season.
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