The Kansas City Royals acquired left-handed reliever Matt Strahm from the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this offseason. Sometimes, players are traded to teams they would prefer to not play for, while other times players are excited about their new ball club. In Strahm’s case, he happened to begin his career in Kansas City, so he is familiar with the team. With that being said, his latest comments suggest he’s certainly a fan of the way the Royals run their ball club.
“The Kansas City Royals do an unbelievable job of not only producing major league athletes, but they produce men,” Strahm said, via Foul Territory. “They do it the right way.”
Strahm, 34, pitched for the Royals in 2016 and 2017. He has since spent time with the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox and the Phillies. With Philadelphia, Strahm emerged as one of the best relievers in baseball. He only spent three years with the Phillies, but Strahm’s impact was undeniable as he even made his first All-Star team in 2024.
Most recently, he turned in a strong 2.74 ERA across 66 relief appearances out of the Phillies’ bullpen in 2025. Now, he is set to return to a Royals ball club that could contend sooner rather than later.
The team already has shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. signed to a long-term deal. This offseason, they agreed to contract extensions with both third baseman Maikel Garcia and manager Matt Quatraro. Kansas City has also been linked to a number of star players in trade rumors.
It is clear that they are attempting to build a winning roster. Strahm may not be a true superstar, but he is a quality reliever who will only help the bullpen improve. The Royals’ relievers were their go-to guys during their 2015 championship run, so perhaps they are implementing that recipe once again.
It will be interesting to see if Kansas City can bring in any stars via trades or free agency this offseason. Rumors are one thing, but making a deal actually come to fruition is an entirely different topic — and it is not easy to do. The Royals want to contend, though, so they could end up making something happen.
As for Matt Strahm, he is seemingly excited about his reunion with the team he made his big league debut with. Strahm will do everything he can to help the Royals compete in 2026.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source roundtable.io ’
