Report: Philadelphia Phillies and Reliever Matt Strahm Agree to Deal

The Philadelphia Phillies and relief pitcher Matt Strahm are reportedly in an agreement on a two-year deal.

The Philadelphia Phillies solved two huge needs with deals for Trea Turner and Taijuan Walker.

After spending $300 million for Turner and $72 million more for Walker to strengthen the starting rotation, managing partner John Middleton wasn’t done.

According to Ken Rosenthal and Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies are close to a two-year, $15 million contract with former Boston Red Sox left-handed reliever Matt Strahm. He would become another key lefty out of the bullpen to go along with Jose Alvarado.

Strahm was effective for the Red Sox last season on a team-friendly one year, $3 million deal.

Strahm, 31, went 4-4 with a 3.83 ERA in 44 2/3 innings. He had four blown saves in eight opportunities.

Strahm is 17-28 with a 3.81 ERA in seven career seasons with the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres and Red Sox. All four of his career saves came last season with Boston.

In October, Strahm seemed to want to move on as a starter. But he’ll likely be used as a reliever in Philadelphia.

“I’ve never said I want to sign as a starter. I still think I can be a starter,” Strahm told reporters in October. “I just want to win, first and foremost. My main goal in baseball is to win a World Series. My dream as a kid was to play Major League Baseball. I’ve accomplished that. Now the next thing for me is just to win a World Series.

“Whatever I feel best on a winning team is what I want to do. I sit here and watch all the starters throughout the league and I think I can do every bit of what a majority of them are doing. But I also understand my value in the bullpen, to be able to cover two innings, get lefties and righties out and bridge it to the back, or even be part of the back of a bullpen.”

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