The Philadelphia Phillies continue to reshuffle their bullpen, trading left-handed reliever Matt Strahm to the Kansas City Royals on Friday. The Phillies acquired 29-year-old pitcher Jonathan Bowlan from the Royals in return.
The Strahm trade comes one day after the Phillies officially signed reliever Brad Keller to a two-year, $22 million contract.
Strahm will make $7.5 million in 2026 after his option vested when he reached 60 innings pitched. The 34-year-old was a 2.0 bWAR player last season with the Phillies, posting a 2.74 ERA in 62 1/3 innings over 66 appearances. His velocity on his four-seam fastball dipped about 1 mph from 2024, and he increased his slider to compensate. He used his slider 31.9% of the time last season, compared to 19.4% in 2024. Still, the lefty was one of manager Rob Thomson’s reliable leverage relievers.
Strahm has been a mainstay in the Phillies’ bullpen since he signed here as a free agent in December 2022. He finishes his Phillies career with a 2.71 ERA over 212 2/3 innings and 188 games. He made 10 starts for the club in his first season.