The Evan Philips signing has major implications on the rest of the Braves roster

It’s a bit ironic, given Alex Anthopoulos’ typically shrewd spending practices in free agency, but one area he’s never been afraid to go expensive is the bullpen, signing guys like Will Smith, Kenley Jansen, Raisel Iglesias, and now Evan Phillips to lucrative contracts.

Atlanta’s bullpen was one of the best in baseball a year ago, but adding to it this offseason was a necessity because of two major developments: Raisel Iglesias is a free agent, and the Braves will move Didier Fuentes back to the rotation to start the 2027 season.

The Phillips signing is likely the writing on the wall for Iglesias, who is projected to earn a one-year deal worth around $15 million in free agency. It’s hard to imagine the Braves giving that to him now, unless his market turns out to be a lot cooler than expected, which means Robert Suarez will likely be asked to close games moving forward.

Suarez was the Braves’ big bullpen acquisition a year ago, inking a three-year, $40 million contract. In his first season in Atlanta, he was mostly brilliant, posting a 0.56 ERA through his first 31 appearances. An elbow injury then cost him the next several months, but he returned at the very end of the season, pitched in the playoffs, and flashed his typical 100 mph heater — suggesting there shouldn’t be too many concerns about what he can provide in 2027 and beyond.

Phillips will likely slide into Fuentes’ old role, where the Braves hope he’ll be a dominant setup man, as he was with the Dodgers. He posted a 3.46 ERA last season after returning from Tommy John surgery, but the stuff graded out as elite, and he struck out 31% of the batters he faced. Prior to the surgery, Phillips recorded a 2.21 ERA over 187 appearances from 2022-2024.

As a rookie, Fuentes was among the most dominant relievers in the entire sport. Even Phillips at the peak of his powers might not be able to replace that production, but there’s no question the Braves have to see if Fuentes’ success can carry over into the rotation. He came through the organization as a starting pitcher, and now he should have the confidence that his stuff is essentially unhittable when he’s rolling.

If that experiment is successful, the Braves’ rotation wouldn’t be in a bad spot after all. A one-two punch of Chris Sale and Didier Fuentes could prove electric, but another addition to the group remains a must. They’re also still down a man in the bullpen, so expect at least one more signing to round out the pitching staff.

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Photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire