Cubs Have Injured Ex-Dodgers Pitcher On Free Agency Radar

The Chicago Cubs made their first impactful free agency signing of the offseason when they acquired veteran reliever Phil Maton on a two-year deal.

This was a shrewd move for a squad that is losing multiple relievers in free agency this offseason, given that Maton has been solid for the past three seasons and produced a 2.79 ERA with 81 strikeouts and five saves in 61.1 innings in the 2025 campaign.

However, there's still plenty more work to be done in retooling a bullpen that had a collective 3.78 ERA during the regular season, which put them at No. 11 in MLB.

As it currently stands, the only left-handed relievers on Chicago's 40-man roster are Jordan Wicks, Riley Martin, and Luke Little, which makes it clear that they're going to need to sign at least one impact southpaw pitcher in the coming months. But that doesn't necessarily mean that doing so will be their top priority or the next move they'll make.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Jordan Wicks | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Insiders Reveals Cubs' Interest in Former Dodgers Pitcher

In a November 23 article from The Athletic, Cubs insiders Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney conveyed that the Cubs' "preference" is to add another experienced reliever to join Maton in the bullpen. Given that they seem content with Daniel Palencia, this probably doesn't mean them breaking the bank for a top closer, and instead will try to find another quality middle relief or high-leverage arm who can help bridge the gap to Palencia.

The article also noted that the Cubs have former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips on their radar. This is an interesting player to potentially pursue, given that Phillips had Tommy John surgery back in June and likely wouldn't be available to pitch until the middle of the 2026 season.

Phillips was non-tendered by the Dodgers on November 21, which meant that he became a free agent. Despite the injury, Phillips' career 3.36 ERA and the fact that he saved 42 games for Los Angeles in the 2023 and 24 seasons suggest he could be a great fit in Chicago's bullpen once he's back healthy.

BREAKING: Evan Phillips has been non-tendered by the Dodgers and will become a free agent 🚨

Phillips had Tommy John surgery back in May of this year and has been rehabbing since. pic.twitter.com/Km5CIgd3JS
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) November 21, 2025

Phillips was one of the best relievers in baseball in 2021 and 2022, as he posted a sterling 1.14 ERA in 63 regular season innings pitched and had a 2.05 ERA in 61.1 innings pitched the following year.

This is the exact sort of signing that could garner the Cubs' front office a lot of credit in hindsight.

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