The absence of José Alvarado for much of the 2025 season made Matt Strahm the most crucial left-handed reliever on the Phillies roster. As Alvarado missed 80 regular-season games and the postseason after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, Strahm’s became the No. 1 lefty out of the bullpen.
That will no longer be the case in 2026, as the Phillies traded Strahm to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for right-hander Jonathan Bowlan on Friday. In a move that shook up the club’s big-league bullpen and sent away a three-year contributor, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made a big bet that Alvarado will be ready to rebound over the course of a full season next year.