His offensive production surged with Detroit: he became proficient at drawing walks, leading the American League in 1993 with 132 after posting 114 in 1992.

After hitting 19 home runs and drawing another 95 walks in 1994, Phillips was traded to the California Angels for Chad Curtis in April 1995, with the season yet to start due to the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike.

He set a career-best mark that year with 27 homers, but drove in just 61 runs due to batting lead-off, and walked 113 times.

1996 saw Phillips move on to the Chicago White Sox, with whom he drew 125 walks, most in the league, and scored 119 runs for the second year in a row.

In 1998 he played with the Toronto Blue Jays, who traded him to the New York Mets for Leo Estrella, and then signed on with the A's for his final season in 1999.

[4] Phillips played third base for the Yuma Scorpions of the independent North American League until the team folded in 2012.

[9] Phillips pleaded guilty to one count of felony cocaine possession, with the charge subject to dismissal if he completed drug counseling and then stayed drug-free for a year.