Matt Strahm is outspoken and demonstrated that personality trait during his three seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. Looking to shake up their bullpen, the Phillies traded the reliever to the Kansas City Royals for Jonathan Bowlan on Dec. 19. In a recent appearance on Foul Territory, Strahm discussed the lingering rumors of feuds within the Phillies organization.
Were the rumors true? Was money a motivation for the trade (subscription required)? Eric Kratz cited The Athletic's Matt Gelb and other writers who noted how Strahm may have butted heads with other players on the roster or individuals in the front office during his time with the Phillies.
Matt Strahm responds to Phillies rumors on Foul Territory podcast
Strahm was adamant that there was no bad blood between the reliever and anyone on the Phillies roster or in the front office that may have led to him being traded to the Royals.
"I'm unaware of any player I've ever butted a head with [in Philadelphia]," Strahm said. "I'm a middle reliever, I'm not going to be a Hall of Famer, but the one thing I control is being a good teammate, and I don't think there's one guy in [the Phillies clubhouse] that would say a bad thing about me.
"Everything's business and I'll call a spade a spade. In this business, those guys usually aren't liked. At least I know I have my job because I'm the guy for the job."
"I don't think there's one guy in there that would say a bad thing about me."@MattStrahm says he's unaware of any player he butted heads with in Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/s1HidvT1cB
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 7, 2026
Strahm had a solid regular 2025 season with the Phillies. He went 2-3 and compiled a 2.74 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP in 66 games. The left-hander had 70 strikeouts and 20 walks as well. He allowed a key home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLDS but rebounded in his other two appearances in Games 2 and 4 of the series.
After picking up José Alvarado's $9 million club option earlier in the offseason, the Phillies felt comfortable enough having him and Tanner Banks as their top left-handers out of the bullpen. The club acquired lefty Kyle Backhus in a separate deal to potentially be another left-handed reliever. He'll still need to lock down one of the open spots during spring training, however.
Whether Strahm's demeanor led to the trade to Kansas City is open to interpretation. The Phillies may have been looking for change in their bullpen, and they were open to moving him and his $7.5 million salary. Regardless, the club or fanbase won't have to deal with any potential issues moving forward.