When we last saw Philadelphia Phillies reliever Matt Strahm on the mound, he was pitching the ninth inning of a tie game in the NLDS with the team’s season on the line. He fired off a 1-2-3 inning, but his efforts were all for naught as the Phillies were eliminated two innings later.

Now, two months after another October disappointment by the team, Strahm is on the move back to Kansas City, where his MLB career started in 2016. On its surface, the trade sure seemed to be just about the money, as Strahm makes a team-friendly $7.5 million but could help the Phillies cut down on some luxury tax by dealing him.

Plus, the Phillies were able to boast a solid left-handed contingent in their bullpen with Strahm, Tanner Banks, and José Alvarado, which was a luxury. It figured that they would look to trim a little payroll in that area, and their recent decision to pick up Alvarado’s 2026 option essentially narrowed it down to Strahm and Banks, who makes far less money and isn’t denting the team’s finances much.

Matt Strahm trade less surprising after learning that his relationship with the Phillies had ‘frayed’

So, it seems pretty elementary in retrospect that Strahm would be the odd man out. But not so fast, as recent reports suggest this may have been more about organizational displeasure than simply saving a few (million) bucks.

As reported by Todd Zolecki for MLB.com, the Phillies’ recent signing of Brad Keller to bolster the bullpen even further was the final domino to fall before the Strahm trade could be official. Strahm pitched well in three years for the Phillies, putting up an impressive 2.71 cumulative ERA over that span to go along with 17 wins and 11 saves. He even earned an All-Star nod in 2024.

He was objectively worth the money he is being paid, but it seems that Strahm’s comments in the wake of the Phillies’ elimination at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers spoke volumes. Strahm’s relationship with the Phillies had “frayed,” according to Zolecki.

Got to think that Strahm’s comments after the season were the tipping point on his future here. More than one person told me this year that they didn’t love his approach in clubhouse. Dombrowski made it clear he wasn’t happy. His salary also made him expendable.

— Kevin Cooney (@KevinCooney) December 19, 2025

As Strahm tried to throw some cold water on the heat surrounding Orion Kerkering after his horrible error sealed the team’s fate, he made an awkward attempt to defend a teammate by saying the team’s pitchers hadn’t taken fielding practice during the postseason. He did put some of the onus on himself by saying that he should have spoken up as one of the staff’s veteran leaders, but it felt like grasping at straws overall.

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski later refuted Strahm’s claims about the lack of prep work, and manager Rob Thomson backed up Dombrowski’s comments, going on to state that the situation that faced Kerkering was unique and could never be properly simulated at any rate. You either rise to meet a big moment or you let it beat you, and we all know what happened to Kerkering and the Phils as they try to put it behind them for 2026 and beyond.

Matt Strahm was no doubt bearing the weight of a third consecutive postseason flameout following a great regular season. He joined the team following their surprise run to the 2022 World Series, but he has only been a part of a club best known for a colossal collapse in the 2023 NLCS and back-to-back first-round disappointments in 2024 and 2025. It was grinding on him, he made his displeasure at everything known in an odd way, and now he finds himself in KC two months later.

The Phillies will miss Strahm’s solid presence in the bullpen, but his absence shouldn’t be a franchise-defining one. They judged that they didn’t need any more internal conflicts than what might already be in place, and shedding Strahm was a pretty low-risk move. This isn’t akin to cutting loose a top-end starter or a lineup fixture.

Strahm can get on with his career while he enjoys eating some tasty meats and fortifying his baseball card collection in Kansas City. The Phillies just made the most of an opportunity to save a little cash and eliminate a potential future headache at the same time.