Why Matt Strahm suddenly makes sense for the Cubs

Jayne Kamin Oncea - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 10 hours ago

As is the case every year when the Winter Meetings roll along, there are always surprises when discussing trade possibilities. This season is no exception, as several names have been thrown into the ring as potential trade candidates, and a lot of them were not viewed as options when the season ended.

Take Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Matt Strahm, who has not only been one of the better relievers the past three seasons, but was never seen as a trade chip until as recently as Sunday. What does this have to do with the Cubs, you may be asking? Well, the Cubs not only need relief arms, but also have zero lefties in the pen up to this point.

Trading for Strahm fills both needs, as he is a name the Cubs need to inquire about. Much like the Dodgers, who seemingly have endless money to spend, the Phillies are one of those teams that won't hesitate to spend money, so don't look for that to change anytime soon. They could end up trading some of their older players to create salary space to spend more money.

Strahm is one of those players who fits that bill, and despite being 34 years old, has proven time and again how valuable he is. An excellent reliever since making his MLB debut in 2016, Strahm has taken his game to a new level in Philadelphia, where he has emerged as one of the game's best relievers across the board.

For his career, Strahm has posted a solid 3.38 ERA and has gone 34-38 in the process. That includes a 17-9 mark with the Phillies while also posting an ERA in the mid-2's during that stretch. Sounds like the perfect pitcher to bring to Chicago, especially when both of the Cubs' lockdown lefties, Drew Pomeranz and Caleb Thielbar, are on the free agent market.

Although this season wasn't as good as 2024, it's tough to top when you post a 1.87 ERA that season. Despite that, Strahm continued to go about his business, appearing in 66 games and throwing nearly 63 innings. In those games, Strahm posted a 2-3 record and an impressive 2.74 ERA, which, down year or not, is still considered an elite year and would be a better season than most relievers during their best years.

He walked 20 and struck out 70, which has been a common thread since joining the Phillies, but it is still nowhere near the numbers he put up in 2023, when he walked 21 batters in 87 while also striking out 108. Those types of numbers are once-in-a-lifetime numbers, but the overall numbers he has put up the past two seasons are sustainable, which is why the Cubs need to look at landing him via a trade.

Among all left-handed relievers over the last three seasons, Strahm’s 2.46 ERA, 4.98 K/BB, and 4.5 WAR rank second best. His 6.3 barrel% also stands out as a positive (just 4.3% last season). Put that at Wrigley Field during the cold-weather months and when the wind is blowing in, and you quite possibly could wind up with the best left-handed reliever in the game, which is something the Cubs haven't had since Aroldis Chapman in 2016.

As good an acquisition as this may seem, there are some minor concerns about him, with his age being the biggest. While no one is saying he will completely fall off a cliff this season, Strahm will be 35 next season, and you have to wonder when his age will start to catch up with him.

You started to see some signs of that last season, as his average fastball velocity has decreased by about 1-2 MPH over the past season, which is to be expected at this point in his career. He still can rush it up there in the 93-94 MPH range, but gone are the days of the 95-96 MPH that he could consistently hit.

As is the case with most lefties, Strahm has made a living off his off-speed stuff as he possesses one of the best sliders in the game. Equally as effective against lefties and righties, it's a pitch the Cubs would love to get into their pitching lab to see what they can all do with it. With all the talk of them trading for a starter, it's surprising you haven't heard them linked to more relievers, so perhaps Strahm is the one they will look at.