Chaim Bloom had a busy weekend trying to bolster the Boston Red Sox bullpen.
The Sox reportedly reached an agreement with left-handed reliever Matt Strahm, according to multiple reports. FanSided’s Robert Murray was the first to report the signing. Strahm is set to make $3 million, according to Jon Heyman.
Boston also reportedly struck a deal with another southpaw, Jake Diekman, later in the day Sunday.
Strahm is an especially intriguing reported addition. The 30-year-old is coming off a forgettable 2021 campaign in which a knee injury limited him to just six appearances. Strahm has primarily been used as a reliever for the last two seasons after bouncing back and forth between the bullpen and rotation in prior years.
His best, most consistent work as a reliever came in 2020 with the Padres. Strahm appeared in 19 games during the pandemic-shortened season, logging 20 2/3 innings and allowing just six earned runs on 14 hits. While he has displayed swing-and-miss potential at parts of his career — he struck out 10 per nine innings with the Padres in 2018 — his whiff numbers have gone down since he was moved to the bullpen. That being said, he also has done a nice job of limiting walks, issuing just 27 free passes in 71 appearances dating back to the start of 2019.
He was absolutely devastating against left-handed hitters in 2020. Opposing lefties hit just .116 against him, striking out 10 times in just 45 plate appearances. For his entire career, though, left-handers have a higher batting average against him than right-handed hitters. However, that reverse split includes his time as a starter. When used strictly as a reliever, he’s been tougher on left-handed hitters.
If he can get and stay healthy, Strahm figures to be part of the bullpen mix for Alex Cora’s team right away in 2022.
