The Los Angeles Dodgers will do whatever it takes to get back to the mountaintop in 2027.

The 2026 season didn't end the way the Dodgers wanted, as they fell to the eventual champions, the Milwaukee Brewers, in the National League Championship Series.

However, the page has now turned to the 2027 season. The Dodgers have a lot on their plate this offseason, and at the top is retaining a handful of their players.

Los Angeles has a total of nine free agents, four of them relief pitchers. One of the four is one of the longer-tenured relief pitchers in right-hander Evan Phillips.

Phillips completed his sixth season in Los Angeles and now enters free agency. Although Phillips is not a top priority for the Dodgers, Will Laws of Sports Illustrated predicts he will remain with the team. on a one-year, $10 million deal.

"Phillips returned from Tommy John surgery in July and was largely his old self again. He had a 3.46 ERA in 26 innings, with a stellar 25.5% K-BB rate while gaining a tick on his fastball velocity," SI's Nicholas Selbe wrote. "He posted a career-worst home run rate (1.73 HR/9), though that’s a stat that ranks among the noisiest for pitchers year to year. Assuming that normalizes going forward, he should be an attractive high-leverage piece for an above-average bullpen."

Will the Dodgers Prioritize Evan Phillips?

Phillips pitched in five postseason games for the Dodgers this past October. He didn't allow a run across three innings while striking out three.

Phillips was a staple in the Dodgers' bullpen in his first three seasons of his LA tenure. From 2022-24, the 32-year-old was elite, posting a 2.21 ERA, 206 strikeouts, a 0.91 WHIP and a 186 ERA+.

The right-handed pitcher had a 14-8 record and 44 saves in 187 appearances and 179 innings.

However, his time from then on was limited due to injuries. Phillips missed most of the 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

In the past two seasons, Phillips appeared in only 38 games and pitched in 31.2 innings. The veteran right-handed pitcher posted a 2.87 ERA, 39 strikeouts and a 1.07 WHIP.

The Dodgers already have back-end stability locked in for the 2027 season, led by Edwin Diaz and Tanner Scott. However, Phillips has played a critical role as a fireman reliever, and could continue that role in 2027.

Prior to Phillips' tenure with the Dodgers, he spent time with the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays.

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