Matt Strahm Reportedly 'Clashed' With Phillies Coaches

Shortly after the Philadelphia Phillies traded relief pitcher Matt Strahm to the Kansas City Royals, Dave Dombrowski noted that the roster simply didn’t need three left-handers in the bullpen, and Strahm’s contract status made him a candidate to be moved. 

All of that is likely true and makes a ton of sense as a reason to trade the veteran pitcher. However, there may have been more to this trade than simply finances and roster makeup; the Phillies could have easily kept all three lefties in their bullpen, but they opted not to. 

The Athletic’s Matt Gelb reported earlier this week that Strahm and Phillies coaches “clashed” at times before the trade went down.

“Strahm clashed with coaches and team officials; he was never afraid to voice his opinion on how the bullpen was managed and clubhouse dynamics. A productive three-year relationship had run its course with the growing friction between the two sides,” wrote Gelb.

It’s interesting to see that, after the fact, there may have been some disagreements between the left-hander and how the bullpen was being managed at times. Even if there were some conflict growing between Strahm and the Phillies organization, you would never have been able to tell with how he pitched on the mound.

In 2025, Strahm’s final season with the Phillies, he posted a 2.74 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, and even recorded six saves. He even registered an ERA+ of 159 during his three seasons with the Phillies, meaning Strahm was 59 percent better than the average pitcher over that stretch.

In many ways, Strahm was one of the most underrated relievers in baseball during his time in Philadelphia. You would never expect any issues between the pitcher and the coaches. 

As Gelb notes, sometimes relationships between a player and an organization run their course, and it certainly appears this was the case between Strahm and the Phillies.

In the end, the 34-year-old heads to a Royals bullpen that desperately needs his services, and Philadelphia gets a reliever under team control for the foreseeable future, making it a seemingly agreeable split for each side.