After three seasons, baseball card-collecting lefty Matt Strahm is officially no longer a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. Arguably having the best seasons of his career with the team, it was a shock when the Phillies announced on Friday that the former All-Star had been traded to the Kansas City Royals, with the Phillies receiving right-handed reliever Jonathan Bowlan in return.
With just one year and $7.5 million still left to be paid by the Phillies, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski decided it would be most cost-effective to trade the 34-year-old southpaw to help combat the already expensive offseason they've begun to rack up.
With how well Strahm pitched for the Phillies, one would think they would receive more in return for the reliable setup man who posted a 2.71 ERA over the three years he was in Philadelphia. In this full circle moment in which the Phillies are returning Strahm to the team that initially drafted him, the younger pitcher they received in return, in the hands of Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham could be an asset in this new Phillies bullpen.
Phillies’ projected 2026 bullpen after adding Jonathan Bowlan in Matt Strahm trade
With the addition of Bowlan and previously Brad Keller, plus the subtraction of Strahm, it's comforting to know that the 2026 bullpen is stronger than it was at any point during the 2025 season. While Strahm's performance in high-leverage situations will be missed, fans should get excited at how well the front office has constructed the bullpen so far.
2026 Bullpen Role | Player |
|---|---|
Closer | RHP Jhoan Duran |
Setup | RHP Brad Keller |
Setup | LHP Jose Alvarado |
Middle Relief | RHP Orion Kerkering |
Middle Relief | LHP Tanner Banks |
Middle Relief | RHP Jonathan Bowlan |
Long Relief | RHP Zach McCambley |
Long Relief | RHP Max Lazar |
With the acquisition of Jhoan Duran at the 2025 trade deadline, the recent pick-up of Keller, and taking the option to keep José Alvarado, the back end of the bullpen will remain one of the strongest in the game, even with the loss of Strahm.
In addition to the MLB-level talent the Phillies have retained through free agency, they selected Zach McCambley in the Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings earlier this month. He will look to help the club at the big league level due to the nature of his draft contract.
The 29-year-old Bowlan, who is expected to be on the team's MLB roster this year, had substantial numbers with Triple-A Omaha, with a 2.25 ERA. He posted a 3.86 ERA with the Royals.
Known for both his fastball and sinker, Bowlan is a strong groundball producer, with a 49.1 percent ground ball rate in 2025, which will fare well in the 'pen. When this young righty begins to work with Cotham, there could be room for even more improvement for the former second-round pick.
With the lefties of Tanner Banks and Avarado holding the line from the left side and the trio of Avarado, Keller, and Duran manning the back end, the loss of another dominant lefty in Strahm isn't as substantial as one would think. Additionally, the talent bubbling up from beneath the surface of the bigger names in MLB is just as thrilling as the talent that will throw on Phillies pinstripes this spring.