Jonathan Bowlan has been a phenomenal addition to the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen.
With the MLB trade deadline rapidly approaching, there’s going to be plenty of discussions and narratives on the moves the Philadelphia Phillies should make in the coming months.
Before all of those narratives truly get started, let’s take a look back at a trade the Phillies made over the offseason that’s already looking like a win for the organization.
On September 19, before any of the big offseason action truly got underway, Philadelphia struck a deal with the Kansas City Royals where they’d receive RHP Jonathan Bowlan in exchange for veteran LHP Matt Strahm.
Strahm had been a staple of the Phillies’ bullpen but was entering a contract year and reportedly faced some adversity with some of the coaches. In return, Philadelphia got a controllable reliever.
To put it lightly, the Phillies have undoubtedly been the winners of this transaction.
Before coming to Philadelphia, Bowlan had pitched in 37 games across three years for the Royals, but he’s in the middle of a true breakout season with the Phillies.
The right-hander has pitched in 23 games for the Phillies this year, and he owns a 3.52 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. Bowlan’s advanced metrics are also impressive, as he owns a fastball velocity of 97.3 mph (90th percentile), a chase rate of 32.8 percent, a whiff rate of 32.6 percent, and a strikeout rate of 26.1 percent.
Truly, it’s hard to imagine where the Phillies bullpen would be without Bowlan in it.
Apr 6, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcherJonathanBowlan(52) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn ImagesIt’s not just Bowlan’s success that makes this such a great move by the Phillies. Unfortunately, Strahm is in the middle of one of the worst seasons of his career.
The 34-year-old has a career-high 6.46 ERA in 26 outings for the Royals.
The punchout potential that made Strahm such an effective reliever has dissipated, as he owns a whiff rate of 22.3 percent (28th percentile) and a strikeout rate of just 17 percent (15th percentile) in his 23.3 innings of work.
The Phillies could have played it safe and run Strahm back in a role he was familiar with. Instead, they took a chance and traded for an unproven reliever who is having a phenomenal season and isn’t a free agent until 2032.
This move has undeniably been a great trade for the Phillies.
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