A pretty significant relief trade went down this morning, with the Philadelphia Phillies sending a legit reliever in Matt Strahm to the Kansas City Royals. It’s a notable deal all on its own (Strahm is a very good reliever and the Phillies/Royals are notable players elsewhere in the market), but there’s also some added Cubs flavor for us to discuss.
So, let’s.
The Royals are acquiring Matt Strahm from the Phillies for RHP Jonathan Bowlan, per source.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 19, 2025Matt Strahm to the Royals
Just under two weeks ago, I identified Matt Strahm as a potential relief target for the Chicago Cubs, stating the following once it became clear that the Phillies would consider trading him:
Strahm, 34, has been one of the most effective left-handed relievers in baseball for three straight seasons, and that gets me wondering about the Cubs’ potential involvement.
– 2023: 87.2 IP, 3.29 ERA, 2.0 WAR– 2024: 62.2 IP, 1.87 ERA, 2.1 WAR– 2025: 62.1 IP, 2.74 ERA, 1.5 WAR
Among all left-handed relievers over the last three seasons, Strahm’s 2.46 ERA, 4.98 K/BB, and 4.5 WAR rank second best. His 6.3 barrel% also stands out as a positive (just 4.3% last season!).
So why would the Cubs be involved? Well, for one, we know they need and are seeking impact in the bullpen, and have been willing to go outside of the comfort zone to get it (from their offer to Tanner Scott, to their signing of Phil Maton, to their rumored interest in Ryan Helsley and Devin Williams).
For another, they definitely could use a left-handed reliever (Luke Little is pretty much the only current Cub for that role). So, going after an impact, left-handed reliever could kill two birds with one stone. Strahm wouldn’t be cheap to acquire (in prospect or player capital), but if the Phillies really are more eager to shed his salary in service of something else, maybe there’s a range that can make sense for the Cubs.
Obviously, the Cubs did not get involved, and it’s not terribly difficult to understand why … they just added back-to-back left-handed free-agent relievers in Hoby Milner and Caleb Thielbar. So their appetite for another lefty (even a more impactful, full-inning type like Matt Strahm) was probably quite low. You can debate which path they should have taken, but they got themselves some quality, big-league lefties, and I think they’re both pretty good.
On the flip side, the return wasn’t CRAZY meaningful for a pitcher of Strahm’s caliber. Jonathan Bowlan made a successful conversion to the bullpen last season, earning a 3.86 ERA over 34 games and 44.1 IP. And he won’t be a free agent until 2032. So he’s cheap, controlled, and has some immediately playable upside. But Matt Strahm was one of the most effective lefty relievers in baseball.
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesHowever, the true goal of the Phillies (which was reported when these rumors first started) was to save some money, which they will do in this trade: Strahm is set to make $7.5M in 2026, Bowlan will make the league minimum. They also clearly prioritized someone who could contribute immediately in 2026. So for those reasons, the Cubs and Phillies were not an ideal fit.
This does make me wonder now if the Phillies are gearing up for their next big signing – saving $7.5 million might not offset a new $100M+ deal in total cash, but it can help for purposes of the luxury tax. And the Phillies are way up there already ($299.9M according to Roster Resource). Honestly, I wouldn’t have even brought that up if the Strahm rumors weren’t explicitly tied to cost savings, but that’s generally been the story.
And that brings me back to the Cubs in a different way: Pete Fairbanks (and to a lesser extent, Seranthony Dominguez) are the only two expectedly impactful free agent relievers out there, but a trade is always a possibility. Strahm made less sense once the Cubs added their lefties, but you do hope they have some other options out there if Fairbanks and Dominguez find homes.
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