LA’s decision to non-tender Evan Phillips and Nick Frasso sparks explosive questions about what the Dodgers are planning next.NL
The Dodgers on Friday did not tender contracts to pitchers Evan Phillips and Nick Frasso, making them free agents.
Friday was the deadline for teams to tender 2026 contracts to all players on their 40-man roster, which usually serves as a soft deadline of sorts to reach deals for players eligible for salary arbitration, and/or some trimming on the fringes of the roster. Phillps and Frasso offer examples of each category.
Phillips missed the World Series in 2024 with a rotator cuff strain in his right shoulder, an injury that kept him out for the first month of 2025. Two and a half weeks after returning, Phillips went back on the injured list and had Tommy John surgery on June 4, ending his season. He’ll likely miss at least half of the 2026 season while rehabbing.
Phillips is in a similar situation to Tony Gonsolin, with both pitchers coming off major elbow surgery, one partial season away from free agency and eligible for salary arbitration this offseason. Gonsolin, who made $5.4 million in 2025 and would likely earn something similar through arbitration for 2026, was designated for assignment on November 6 and later elected free agency. His internal brace surgery and flexor tendon repair was in August, likely sidelining him for nearly all of the 2026 season as well.
With Phillips having his surgery in early June, there is at least a chance he returns after the 2026 All-Star break and as a reliever wouldn’t take as much rehab time to build up innings as a starter. Phillips signed a $6.1 million contract to avoid arbitration 2025, and would likely have made something similar for 2026 through arbitration. Both MLB Trade Rumors and Cot’s Baseball Contracts projected Phillips to earn $6.1 million, for instance.
Phillips since getting claimed off waivers by the Dodgers in 2021 has been one of the best pitchers in baseball. Among the 484 pitchers with at least 150 innings over the last five seasons, Phillips ranks fifth in ERA (2.23), 18th in xERA (2.93), and 34th in strikeout-minus-walk rate (22.1 percent). He saved 45 games with the Dodgers, including leading the team in saves in both 2023 and 2024.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says he team is still interested in re-signing Phillips, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.
Frasso did not pitch in his two seasons on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, having missed all of 2024 after shoulder surgery and a hip procedure. This year in Triple-A, Frasso had a 5.49 ERA in 43 games, including seven starts, with 68 strikeouts and 42 walks in 77 innings.
With Phillips and Frasso now gone, the Dodgers have 37 players on the 40-man roster, including 23 pitchers.
