On Friday morning, the Philadelphia Phillies traded away some of the left-handed relief depth by sending Matt Strahm to the Kansas City Royals. Fansided's Robert Murray was first on the report. Strahm had been rumored to be on the trade block for a month or so.
The trade gives the Phillies some salary relief as Strahm was set to make $7.5 million in 2026. Most teams do not carry three left-handed relievers in their bullpen. Before the trade, the Phillies had Jose Alvarado, Tanner Banks and Matt Strahm. All showed ability to pitch in high-leverage situations in 2025, to some degree.
RHP Jonathan Bowlan heads to Philadelphia in the one-for-one swap. Bowlan is a former 2nd round draft pick with some major league experience. He was back and forth between Triple-A and MLB in 2025. In the majors, he posted a 3.86 ERA in 44.1 IP with 46 strikeouts. He was drafted as a starter but converted full-time to a reliever in 2025.
Bowlan features a fastball that averages 95.7 MPH. He also throws a slider, sinker, curveball, and changeup. His sinker was his best pitch last season. He averaged 96.1 MPH on the pitch and opponents hit just .161 against it. He will most likely be a middle reliever for the Phillies.
Since 2024, Strahm has been one of the premier lefty relievers in baseball. He's posted a minuscule 2.30 ERA in 125 IP. On top of that, he's generated a ton of swing-and-miss with a 10.7 K/9. His 2024 was one of the best seasons by a Phillies' reliever in recent memory. He made the All-Star Game as a set-up man, posting a 1. 87 ERA in 62.2 IP.
Strahm reunites with the team that drafted him in 2012. He made his major league debut with the Royals in 2016.
