KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Royals reunited with veteran left-hander Matt Strahm on Friday, acquiring the former All-Star from the Phillies in a trade for right-hander Jonathan Bowlan that each club hopes will improve their bullpen.
The 34-year-old Strahm was drafted by the Royals in 2012 out of Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kansas, and he went on to spend his first two big league seasons with them. Strahm has spent the past three years in Philadelphia.
“We’ve been saying all along we need to address our outfield and raise the floor of our outfield,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said, “but also on our list was our bullpen. We’ve been able to address it probably in a timetable quicker than we thought.”
The Royals have been among the busiest clubs already this offseason.
Last week, they traded left-hander Angel Zerpa to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder Isaac Collins and right-hander Nick Mears. They also signed outfielder Lane Thomas to a $5.25 million contract for next season and locked up All-Star third baseman Maikel Garcia with a five-year, $57.5 million deal that includes a team option for 2031 and bonus provisions that could take the deal to $85.3 million.
The move to reunite with Strahm gives them a veteran left-hander with potent swing-and-miss ability.
After two years with the Royals, he pitched for the Padres and Red Sox and the past three years in Philadelphia, where he was an All-Star in 2024 with a 1.87 ERA over 66 appearances. He also made 66 appearances with a 2.74 ERA in 2025.
Strahm has a $7.5 million salary next season under an option that vested, part of a deal that is paying him $15 million for 2025 and 2026. He can become a free agent after the 2026 World Series.
“Honestly, I was telling J.J., it kind of feels like a movie to me,” Strahm said. “It all started in Kansas City, and then it’s gone full circle. With my family, I’ve been talking about my montage of spring training pics over 10 years. It’s going to be a good one, going from Royal to Royal. So it’s going to be cool.”
The Phillies also have been busy working on their pitching staff.
On Thursday, they finalized a two-year, $22 million contract with right-hander Brad Keller, who was 4-2 with a career-low 2.07 ERA in 68 appearances for the Chicago Cubs last season. Keller will get a $4 million signing bonus, half payable upon the contract’s approval by Major League Baseball and half in October, along with salaries of $7 million next year and $11 million in 2027.
The 29-year-old Bowlan has pitched in parts of the past three seasons for Kansas City, fighting numerous injuries along the way. He made one start and appeared in a career-high 34 games in 2025, going 1-2 and posting a 3.86 ERA.
Hours after the Strahm-for-Bowlan swap with the Royals, the Phillies announced that they had acquired left-hander Kyle Backhus, who made 32 appearances for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, for minor league outfielder Avery Owusu-Asiedu.
Phillies general manager Dave Dombrowski said the collection of moves was intended to fortify the pitching staff but would have no bearing on what the club does the rest of the offseason. The biggest remaining item on its to-do list is help behind the plate.
“You’re always cognizant of where your payroll will be,” Dombrowski said. “We still have the ability to do some things. We’re still looking for a catcher, first and foremost. But this doesn’t have anything to do with us having more or less money to go ahead and spend for a catch. That’s been our thought process all winter long.”