The Philadelphia Phillies could be looking to move left-handed relief pitcher Matt Strahm, according to ESPN’s MLB Insider Jeff Passan. Passan outlines the bullpen market, mentioning that Matt Strahm is the best one available and “is likely to be traded by Philadelphia.”
with Matt Gelb of the Athletic writingKen Rosenthal discussing that here
In addition to Strahm, the Phillies currently have three left-handed pitchers in their bullpen, with José Alvarado and Tanner Banks the other two. The team added right-handed Brad Keller, who posted a 2.07 ERA (16 ER, 69.2 IP) with 75 strikeouts against 22 walks in 68 games for the Chicago Cubs last season.
Moving Strahm is something I have discussed on the Sports Bash, not because he isn’t good, but because relief pitchers are so fickle, you’d anticipate one of these years he will struggle.
Last season, the 34-year-old had a 2.74 ERA in 62 1/3 innings and enters the final year of his deal. Since coming to Philadelphia as a free agent before the 2023 season, Strahm has exceeded expectations, becoming one of the more dependable lefties in baseball with a 2.71 ERA, 0.955 WHIP, and 11 saves in 212.2 innings.
As far as what the Phillies could land in return for Strahm? They might hold on to him to see what happens with catcher J.T. Realmuto. If Realmuto signs elsewhere, they could use Strahm to land a replacement behind the plate.
They could also pair him with another player, like Alec Bohm, to try to acquire a player that could add some more depth to their lineup, which still lacks a middle-of-the-lineup bat.
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