Phillies trade Matt Strahm to Royals for Jonathan Bowlan in cost-saving reliever swap

He has spent the last three seasons as one of the most durable and dependable left-handed setup men in baseball. But on Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies traded reliever Matt Strahm to the Kansas City Royals, in a move designed to free up money to address other needs.

In exchange for Strahm, 34, the Phillies received 29-year-old right-hander Jonathan Bowlan. Strahm is due to make $7.5 million in 2026, while Bowlan is not yet arbitration-eligible. Since he’s likely to make slightly above the major-league minimum of $780,000, it means the Phillies are saving nearly $7 million next year.

The trade came just one day after the Phillies signed free-agent reliever Brad Keller to a two-year, $22 million contract. They still need a catcher and hope to re-sign J.T. Realmuto. Doing that will likely push the club’s 2026 payroll beyond last season’s final figure of roughly $314 million.

Bowlan, who is out of minor-league options, will slot into the Phillies’ bullpen as a middle reliever.

The Phillies like his upside, but Bowlan does not have the track record of Strahm, an All-Star in 2024, who appeared in 188 regular-season games over three seasons with the team. That was the eighth-most of any lefty reliever in MLB during that span. His 2.71 ERA in those games ranked as the fourth-lowest among left-handers who averaged at least 60 appearances a season in that span, trailing only closers Josh Hader (2.50) and Aroldis Chapman (2.68), plus Detroit Tigers set-up man Tyler Holton (2.61).

The trade leaves José Alvarado and Tanner Banks as the Phillies’ primary left-handed bullpen options.

And, while the Phillies felt three trusted lefty relievers were something of a luxury, team sources said Strahm was deemed expendable because of a growing friction between the pitcher and the team. Strahm, never reluctant to share his opinions, clashed with coaches and club officials on numerous issues. But teammates considered Strahm a winning player who was willing to take the ball.

It’s a risk for the Phillies, simply because Alvarado and Banks are no guarantees. Alvarado features some of the best stuff of any lefty reliever in the sport, but served an 80-game suspension in 2025 for using a performance-enhancing substance. Banks posted elite numbers against lefty hitters in 2025, but has pitched in lower-leverage situations for most of his career.

The Phillies backfilled later Friday with another trade that landed them lefty reliever Kyle Backhus from the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor-league outfielder Avery Owusu-Asiedu. Backhus, who has minor-league options, is bullpen depth.

Strahm slots perfectly into an excellent Royals bullpen, fronted by closer Carlos Estévez, who led the American League in saves last season with 42. Estévez and Strahm were teammates on the 2024 Phillies.

The Royals had the fourth-best bullpen ERA (3.63) in the AL last season. Earlier this week, they traded their most frequently used left-handed set-up man, Angel Zerpa, to the Milwaukee Brewers, for outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever Nick Mears.

Bowlan has bounced between the Royals and their Triple-A team in Omaha over the past three seasons. A second-round pick in 2018, his primary appeal to the Phillies is his dominance against right-handed hitters. He faced 99 right-handed hitters in the big leagues in 2025, holding them to a .182/.255/.250 slash line, with just one home run allowed.

He’ll need to be in the strike zone more to be effective. Bowlan comes to Philadelphia with an ample arsenal and fits a profile that Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham has previously succeeded in improving.