A farewell to arms? Tennessee Vols starter makes a cryptic post on Instagram on Monday

That isn't an explicit goodbye, but it certainly sounds like a thank you to the fans that you often see before a player leaves.  

And if you believe the comments from his teammates, that appears to be the case.  Dalton Bargo commented with a picture of someone with tears streaming down his face.  Brandan Arvidson wrote "miss you Phil" with a crying emoji. Tegan Kuhns' response was perhaps the most telling, as he wrote "go be great Phil". 

So, if the Vols indeed are losing Phillips, it will be their second notable member of their pitching staff in the last two days.  LHP Dylan Loy, one of the Vols' most reliable arms out of the bullpen, entered the transfer portal on Monday. 

Phillips drew some public attention for his trouble keeping runners from stealing bases, which is something that Tony Vitello mentioned publicly regarding Phillips late in the season.  While his numbers were hit or miss, he delivered one of his best performances of the season against Cincinnati in the Knoxville regional, striking out 8 across 6 innings with 3 ER and no stolen bases surrendered and a pickoff recorded. He posted a 3.90 ERA across 83 innings in 2025 with 98 strikeouts to 34 walks.

He checks in at #65 on MLB's draft prospect rankings as of June 17, so there is a distinct possibility Phillips is heading to the professional level next month. We'll find out soon enough - and where that professional home might be for Phillips - as the MLB Draft will take place July 13-14 in Atlanta.