The Cleveland Guardians need more bullpen depth, and while signing Evan Phillips could be a risk, he could give the reliever core a major boost.
Shane Bieber, Matthew Boyd, and John Means all signed with the Cleveland Guardians to help get their careers back on track after major elbow surgery.
Boyd and Bieber became playoff heroes for their respective teams, but we’re waiting to see the results of Means’ recovery.
Cleveland’s reputation as a tremendous organization for rehabbing pitchers could attract some free agents, and the Guardians should use that stature to recruit one high-risk, high-reward pitcher who should certainly be on the team’s radar.
Evan Phillips was recently non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers, making him a free agent, and an intriguing one at that.
When the right-hander has been on the mound over the past few seasons, he’s been one of MLB’s best relievers. Across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Phillips registered a 2.79 ERA, 3.21 FIP, 1.000 WHIP, and 42 saves. He also had some solid swing and miss material, recording 10 strikeouts per nine innings.
No wonder the Dodgers want to bring Phillips back, but at 31 years old, coming off Tommy John surgery, he may need to re-establish his value to get a big payday.
Jul 5, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Evan Phillips (59) pitches during the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn ImagesIf that’s what he’s looking for, then a contract with the Guardians could make sense for both sides.
Cleveland needs more relievers, specifically proven high-leverage arms, so Phillips would certainly get opportunities to pitch in those big-inning moments once he’s healthy, which may not be until next August.
From Phillips' side, he could benefit from the Guardians’ pitching coaches and development staff, and from their recent success in helping pitchers return from major surgery.
There’s certainly a risk with the Guardians spending some of their offseason budget on Phillips.
As successful as the Guardians have been in helping pitchers recover from Tommy John surgery, sometimes pitchers just don’t look the same afterward, or it takes them over a year to return to pre-procedure form.
Signing Phillips wouldn’t automatically mean they get the 2023-24 version of the reliever.
That said, it’s a risk Cleveland should be willing to take, considering the potential impact Phillips could have on the Guardians’ impact reliever core.