AL Central
Kansas City Royals
The Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals have agreed on a one for one trade to send relievers to different cities. Matt Strahm will be headed to Kansas City to help round out their bullpen, and Jonathan Bowlan will head to Philly in a 1:1 MLB talent reliever swap. The Royals are getting much needed left handed depth in their bullpen.
Matt Strahm’s 2025 Performance
Strahm has stapled himself as one of the more dependent LHP on the market, posting an impressive 2.0 bWAR as a reliever last season, his third such year of 2 bWAR or higher, only one year removed from being an All Star. To say it’s a little questionable from the Phillies side would hold merit, in our opinion, because left handed relievers are hard to come by consistently. The internal grading on Jonathan Bowland must be high. It’s worth noting, Bowlan expires in 2032, and Strahm is a free agent after this coming season.
Jonathan Bowland Makeup
Pitch mix and usage
Statcast (MiLB pitch tracking view) shows a true 5-pitch mix:
- 4-seam (33.4%)
- Slider (31.2%)
- Sinker (17.3%)
- Curveball (9.6%)
- Changeup (8.4%) baseballsavant.com
That said, his real “identity” has long been fastball/slider first, with the other pitches used to change eye levels and steal strikes.
Arsenal breakdown (20–80 scouting grades; projected/role-based)
Fastball — 55 (above-average)
- Reports consistently peg him as a plus/above-average fastball type with strong strike-throwing.
- Typical band: 92–95 mph, touches ~97, with sinking/heavy life that can generate ground balls when located.
What it does best: gets ahead early, challenges hitters in-zone, sets up slider.
Slider — 55 (above-average), flashes 60
- Described as flashing plus with tilt/sharp break when it’s on.
- Primary bat-misser in his mix and the pitch that can play up in relief stints.
Key variable: consistency of shape/finish outing to outing.
Sinker — 50 (average)
- Secondary fastball look; helps him live on the corners and hunt grounders, especially vs. right-handed bats.
Changeup — 45/50 (fringe to average)
- Multiple reports note feel for it, giving him a usable third look versus lefties.
Curveball — 45 (fringe)
- More of a show-me/steal strike pitch based on usage and role; not typically the headline offering.
Results indicators (what the numbers hint at)
- In 2025 MLB time, he missed a decent amount of bats (46 K in 44.1 IP) while staying generally serviceable run-prevention-wise (3.86 ERA).
- Contact quality in 2025 Statcast snapshot is roughly league-ish (e.g., xwOBA around .30), suggesting the margin is about location + avoiding barrels rather than overpowering hitters every night. baseballsavant.com
Role projection with the Phillies
Most likely MLB role: middle relief / swingman depth who can cover 1–2 innings (and spot start in a pinch), with upside to pitch higher leverage when the slider is crisp.
Why Philly targeted him:
- Cheap, controllable strike-throwing arm with a starter’s mix that can play up in shorter bursts.
- Strahm expired at the end of the season and it made sense for the Phillies to trade him to stay under luxury.
Risk factors:
- If the slider isn’t consistently a weapon, he can slide into “contact-y” territory quickly (big league hitters punish mistakes). It’ll take some time developing him.
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