The Philadelphia Phillies have been one of the more active teams of the offseason so far, signing Kyle Schwarber, Adolis Garcia, and Brad Keller to a combined $182 million deal.
But one of the more noteworthy moves was their trade of Matt Strahm to the Kansas City Royals. The Phillies' trading an elite lefty reliever is an odd decision, but he was far from the only reliever on the trade block.
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies were reportedly also entertaining trade inquiries on fellow lefty relievers Tanner Banks and Jose Alvarado. But the Phillies wound up trading their best and most reliable lefty in Strahm.
Phillies had trade talks on all three lefty relievers
"The Phillies fielded calls on all three of their lefty relievers - Jose Alvarado and Tanner Banks included - but were intent on moving Strahm, team sources said," Gelb reports.
Banks and Alvarado are interesting reliever options on the Phillies roster. Now that Strahm has been dealt, neither is likely to be traded, as they'll be the Phillies ' main lefties this season.
Alvarado was suspended for 80 games during the 2025 season for the Philleis after testing positive for PEDS. He was also forced to miss the postseason, leaving the Phillies with just two lefties in the bullpen in the NLDS.
On the other hand, Banks, a 34-year-old, is under club control through the 2028 season, giving the Phillies a few years of control for a cheap, quality left-hander.
Banks had a strong 3.07 ERA in 69 appearances for the Phillies in 2025, and now will get a larger role in 2026 with Strahm out of the picture.
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Alvarado's 2025 season was the tale of two halves. Before his suspension was served, he was dominant. His 2.70 ERA and 1.89 FIP were among the best in the Majors among relievers, and for the Phillies, his seven saves and five holds made him a core member of the bullpen.
But, in the final eight games of his season, after returning from suspension, Avlarado had a 7.50 ERA and an 8.30 FIP. It was a 28-game season for Alvarado, and it wasn't the best due to his poor play following a lengthy suspension.
The Phillies now will hope Alvarado can get back to his pre-suspension form, and that Banks can continue to develop into a quality lefty reliever.
Both were in trade talks this offseason, but the Phillies decided to move on from Strahm instead. It's the Banks and Alvarado show now, as both lefties will take over for Strahm in 2026.
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