The Royals got a lefty Matt Strahm in a trade with the Phillies, according to a report from Robert Murray of FanSided. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that right-hander Jonathan Bowlan headed to Philadelphia in return for Strahm’s services. The clubs then announced the trade.
It’s a reunion for Strahm and the Royals, as Kansas City drafted them in the 21st round of the 2012 draft. Strahm made his major league debut for the Royals in 2016 and spent parts of two seasons with the club before being sent to the Padres in a six-inning trade. Travis Wood again Esteury Ruiz for them to find Trevor CahillBrandon Mauer, and Ryan Buchter. Strahm had a career 3.81 ERA and 4.12 FIP in 56 2/3 innings at the time of the trade. Now he will return to Kansas City nearly a decade later with over 500 MLB innings and an All-Star appearance under his belt.
Most of Strahm’s tenure with the Padres was riddled with injuries and inactivity, but a strong season with Boston back in 2022 convinced the Phillies to bring him into the fold. Since arriving in Philadelphia, the lefty has emerged as one of the most successful players in the league. He has a 2.71 ERA in 212 2/3 innings of work over the past three years with a 2.82 FIP and 3.01 SIERA. That’s the eighth-most innings by any pitcher with 10 or fewer starts in the last three seasons, and among qualified developers his ERA ranks 10th, his FIP ranks 15th, and his SIERA ranks 21st.
That’s a great combination of quality and value that almost any bullpen could benefit from adding, and the Royals are no exception. Strahm figures to closely match Carlos Estevez and it’s okay Lucas Erceg behind the Kansas City bullpen to build the best late-round trio they’ve had since the club’s “three-headed monster” in 2015. Greg Holland, Wade Davisagain Kelvin Herrera. With strong arms like Nick Mears, John Schreiberagain Daniel Lynch IV slated to cover the middle innings, it’s not hard to imagine the Royals entering 2025 with one of the top-to-bottom powerhouses in the American League thanks to this trade.
Strahm’s loss will hurt the Phillies somewhat, but the club still looks good in terms of their late inning mix. John Duran remains one of the league’s best closers, and the most recent acquisitions Brad Keller he was one of the best men in the majors last year with the Cubs. From the left side, Jose Alvarado again Tanner Banks he should form a quality duo, and Alvarado in particular has provided elite production in the past. Strahm’s name has been in trade rumors this winter, and getting his $7.5MM salary off the books could help the Phillies in their pursuit of reuniting with the catcher. JT Realmuto or help them afford another foreign player, who can help contribute with them Brandon Marsh, Adolis Garciaand high hopes Justin Crawford.
Aside from the financial incentive to make the trade, the Phillies will also get the services of Bowlan, a 29-year-old righty who made his major league debut in 2023 but only got his first appearance in the majors last year. Bowlan pitched well over 44 1/3 innings for Kansas City in 2025, posting a 3.86 ERA with a 3.97 FIP in that span. He struck out 25.6% of his opponents with a 9.4% walk rate and a solid 48.7% ground ball rate. That ability to produce both hits and grounders should make Bowlan a viable, low-cost addition to a Phillies pen that has plenty of solid options in the late innings but plenty of unsettled spots. With less than one year of service time under his belt, Bowlan can be controlled at the end of the 2031 season, giving Philadelphia an opportunity to bring in an arm that could be part of their relief mix for years to come.
