The Philadelphia Phillies are contenders for the upcoming 2026 MLB season. They've spent $150 million on Kyle Schwarber, another $22 million on Brad Keller, and $10 million on Adolis Garcia.
Those moves are a sign of a contender, and a serious one at that. So, why did the Phillies trade one of their best relievers, left-hander Matt Strahm? As Robert Murray of Fansided.com reports, Strahm was traded to the Royals on Friday morning.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that Jonathan Bowlan, a right-hander, was the piece acquired in the deal. While Bowlan is an interesting reliever, the question remains: Why did the Phillies trade away Strahm? Well, there's a $7.5 million answer.
Why the Phillies traded away Matt Strahm
There's a clear reason why Strahm was traded. He is under contract for just the 2026 season, on a $7.5 million deal. While the Phillies could've gone through the 2026 season with him on the roster, they've traded him away to clear that money off their books.
Bowlan is a meager return for the Phillies, as the 3.86 ERA right-hander just had his first big-league experience in 2025. He's under club control through 2031, so there's a positive there. But, he's nowhere near the same quality of pitcher as Strahm.
This trade made by Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies was designed with the purpose of clearing some money this offseason as they try to sign other talent. This is essentially a salary dump for the Phillies.
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Strahm is a great, All-Star reliever. But, with a $7.5 million contract for just one season, and with Tanner Banks and Jose Alvarado on the roster as the team's lefty relievers, the Phillies viewed Strahm as expendable.
Landing a better return in a trade would've made this trade easier to accept. But, even though Bowlan isn't the best return the Phillies could have gotten, the purpose of this deal is to free up that $7.5 million.
Whether it's to ensure J.T. Realmuto comes back or to make a splash for a pitcher like Tatsuya Imai or Ranger Suarez, the Phillies now have a little extra money to play with.
Don't expect the Phillies to be done adding this winter, especially now that Strahm's $7.5 million is off the books. This won't be the final roster, and Dombrowski likely has a few more moves up his sleeve.
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