Those that follow the Atlanta Braves are acutely aware of how much Alex Anthopoulos loves building a strong bullpen. The only free agent with a qualifying offer attached that he has ever signed was former closer Will Smith, and he has consistently been aggressive in adding bullpen arms, even if the results have not always been there. On Thursday, that trend continued, although it may be the most puzzling bullpen signing of Anthopoulos' tenure.
The Braves' bullpen is seeing some real potential turnover this offseason. Raisel Iglesias, Joe Jimenez, Brent Suter, and Elieser Hernandez are all free agents, and there is a real question as to whether or not Didier Fuentes is about to transition back to the rotation.
The good news is that the Braves started addressing the problem by signing Evan Phillips away from the Dodgers. The bad news is that they gave the injury-plagued Phillips to a three-year, $35 million contract.
#Braves Sign Evan Phillips: pic.twitter.com/2ozx27CQUG
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) November 12, 2026
Braves sign Evan Phillips to a three-year, $35 million deal despite real injury questions
Given that the Braves just handed Phillips almost $12 million a year over the next three seasons, you can probably bet that a reunion with Iglesias isn't all that likely unless the veteran is willing to take a substantial discount. Atlanta doesn't have a ton of wiggle room in their 2027 payroll, and they just gave a big chunk to it to another reliever instead of Iglesias.
Still, this is an odd move. When he is right, Phillips is very formidable, and the Braves know this as well as anyone. Before his stellar run with the Dodgers, Phillips actually got his pro career started with Atlanta before getting shipped out in the Kevin Gausman trade back in 2018. However, most assumed that Phillips would be fortunate to get a two-year deal after a somewhat rocky return from Tommy John surgery. That Atlanta gave him three years and $35 million is VERY optimistic, to put it mildly, even if they think he will pitch pretty well all three seasons of his deal.
One hopes that this doesn't represent the biggest move the Braves make this offseason. While bolstering the bullpen is important, Atlanta still needs a right-handed bat and at least one more starting pitcher. After giving Phillips $35 million, it may be time to start wondering exactly how much ammo they have to address their roster needs the rest of the offseason.
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