Inside The Red Sox

Ex-Red Sox Reliever Snagged By Dave Dombrowski In Flurry Of Roster Moves

Boston loses a pitcher to a former exec

Scott Neville

Ex-Red Sox Reliever Snagged By Dave Dombrowski In Flurry Of Roster Moves
Ex-Red Sox Reliever Snagged By Dave Dombrowski In Flurry Of Roster Moves /
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SAN DIEGO -- The latest Boston Red Sox free agent is off the board thanks to an old friend of the team.

Left-hander Matt Strahm will join Dave Dombrowski and the Philadelphia Phillies on a two-year, $15 million deal according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Matt Gelb.

The deal has not yet been finalized but appears to be just a matter of time, especially considering the exact contract details have been reported. 

Strahm joined Boston last season on a one-year, $3 million deal, and earned a substantial raise after a successful prove-it year. 

The 31-year-old posted a 4-4 record with a 3.83 ERA, 52-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a .224 batting average against in 44 2/3 innings for the Red Sox. 

While he had flashes of high-end play, Strahm blew four of his eight save opportunities and ended his Red Sox tenure with middling numbers.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom appears to have already moved on from Strahm, as his first deal of the season was to acquire left-hander Joely Rodriguez to assume the same role in the bullpen.

As for the Phillies, they have added superstar shortstop Trea Turner, right-hander Taijuan Walker and Strahm during the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings. 

The Red Sox have spent the same time period being outbid for right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle, left-handed starter Andrew Heaney and outfielder Mitcher Haniger (who would have been a perfect fit). 

Location preferences appear to be the biggest hurdle, but money has always overcome that hurdle for Boston in the past. 

The departure of Strahm will not be a major loss, but the team does need to start to add pieces.

More Winter Meetings:

-- Here's Chaim Bloom's Surprisingly Detailed Plan For Red Sox Offseason

-- All-Star Closer Reportedly Available Via Trade; Makes Perfect Sense For Red Sox

-- Red Sox Place Fan Favorite Slugger On Trade Block After Lackluster Stint In Boston

-- Red Sox Reportedly Are In Contact With Free Agent Reigning MVP Aaron Judge

-- Top Xander Bogaerts Suitor Reportedly Off Board Making Red Sox Reunion More Likely

-- High-Spending Mets Reportedly Interested in Former Red Sox Fan Favorite

Published
Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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