Ex-Red Sox Reliever Reportedly Departs For National League Contender

The Philadelphia Phillies are on a spending spree to open up Major League Baseball’s offseason, and their latest addition comes in the form of a former Boston Red Sox reliever.

Matt Strahm signed with the Phillies on Tuesday, agreeing to terms on a two-year, $15 million contract with the National League champions, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Ken Rosenthal and Matt Gelb of The Athletic were the first to report the deal.

Strahm’s deal with Philadelphia comes off the back of a number of others, with general manager Dave Dombrowski getting busy this offseason. The Phillies reportedly signed starting pitcher Taijuan Walker earlier in the day after inking shortstop Trea Turner to a massive deal Monday.

Prior to the start of free agency, Strahm said he hoped he would hear from Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom this offseason. The 31-year-old lefty reportedly wanted to flirt with starting next season, making it a wonder how Philadelphia views its new arm.

In 50 appearances with the Red Sox in 2022, Strahm struck out 52 batters while walking a total of 17 and finishing with four saves. He finished the season with a 3.83 ERA across 44 2/3 innings pitched and a 4-4 record.

Strahm is one of the first players from the Red Sox’s 2022 roster to officially depart, though plenty have drawn interest from other teams — while plenty of players Boston reportedly had an interest in signed elsewhere.