Phillies reliever Matt Strahm completed a perfect eighth inning for a hold tonight against the Dodgers. In the process, he crossed the 60-inning threshold and vested a $7.5MM option for the 2026 season. The southpaw will still need to pass a postseason physical for the option to go into effect.
Strahm initially joined the Phils on a two-year, $15MM free agent contract during the 2022-23 offseason. That has turned into an excellent value for Dave Dombrowski’s front office. Strahm turned in a 3.29 ERA across 87 2/3 innings during his first season with the club. Philadelphia signed him to a one-year extension for the 2025 season before the ’24 campaign even got underway.
The 33-year-old Strahm has responded with arguably the best two years of his career. He worked to a 1.87 ERA over 66 appearances a year ago and holds a 2.83 mark in 60 1/3 frames this season. His velocity has ticked down, but he’s still punching out 28% of batters faced against an 8% walk rate. He carried a solid 11.7% swinging strike percentage into tonight’s performance.
Philly has increasingly leaned on Strahm as one of their top bullpen weapons. He has a career-best 21 holds. In the second half, only closer Jhoan Duran has entered in higher-leverage situations on average. Strahm is alongside David Robertson and Orion Kerkering as the Phils’ top setup arms going into the playoffs. José Alvarado is ineligible for the postseason because of his failed performance-enhancing drug test. Strahm and Tanner Banks will go into October as manager Rob Thomson’s top two southpaws, while waiver pickup Tim Mayza looks like a borderline candidate to make the playoff roster.
The Phillies would very likely have exercised Strahm’s option even if he had fallen shy of the 60-inning mark. Philadelphia will be happy to retain him on an affordable salary for a leverage reliever. Duran will be back in the ninth inning, while Kerkering and Banks remain under control for multiple seasons. The Phils hold a $9MM option on Alvarado, whose season ended last week when he was diagnosed with a forearm strain.
That was quick, Anthony.
Good for him
He’s got nothing to worry about. Unless the physical shows something really bad, the Phils will be glad to bring him back at $7.5 million.
He could get more in the open market.
He did a good job. Hopefully he remembers how the Dodgers helped him get there lol.
Excellent game tonight. Slugfest with a lot of back and forth, as it should be when these teams get together.
I live outside Philly and stayed up to watch the whole game. Definitely exciting beating LA who is our main competition for a first-round bye. Now, if we could overtake the Brewers for the overall top seed in the NL, that would be great. Phillies have the best home record in all of baseball, so playing as many home games as possible at CBP is to our advantage.
Happy Strahm got his cheese vested. He’s been a terrific bullpen piece for us these past two years. Plus, someone on the team has to challenge Brad Marsh for having the longest locks.
Indeed, the Fightins’ would have to overtake Milwaukee to get home field through at least the NLCS. Brewers won the season series from Philadelphia.
Matt’s a good guy. Red Sox miss him. Matt loves collecting cards and he’ll be able to buy plenty of them with that vesting option.
The Alvarado option at $9m will make for an interesting decision. I wonder if the Phillies will leverage his suspension to perhaps extend him at a lower AAV, Say 2 years and $15m will a 3rd year option. I think the option is otherwise likely to be exercised, but I do think there is at least a chance they decline at $9m,
Good riddance to Alvarado. He’s the second coming of Mitch Williams. You can’t ever relax when he comes into a game because of control issues. Admittedly, he’s lights out dominant when he’s on but there are too many instances when his rocket arm is deployed sans its guidance system. If he ever wins a Rolaids Award it’ll be for helping them increase sales and not his pitching performances.
It would actually be kind of fun seeing who would win the Increase Rolaids Sales Award (IRSA) each year.
Jordan Hicks for the Red Sox is my nominee.
Why, Hayzee, why? Hicks was slowly starting to fade from memory. Now he’s back rattling around in the back of my mind.
Given how much money they need to spend elsewhere (some combination of Schwarber, Realmuto, Suarez, Bader), I suspect that Alvarado is tradeable. Pick up the option and deal him for a couple prospects to a team that doesn’t see 1/9 as much of a gamble. …. They’ll still have Strahm and Banks as bullpen lefties.
With the suspension, injury, and poor performance since the suspension, I’d let him walk.
Prudent decision for the Phils when they signed him
25,000 or so MLB players ever, and only 25(?) from North Dakota.
Strahm is one of the 25(?)
That money will buy a lot of vests.
Long live the Natural.
Rest in Peace.
Named my first Cat ‘Roy Hobbs’ he was the GOAT of cats.
Kudos to DD for assembling a pretty complete team who should go deep into the playoffs at least!!
I’m not really a fan of DD, but this was his best year, and he deserves Executive of the Year. Robertson, Bader and Duran were all great fits at a cost that no one will grimace at.