*Photo from the San Diego Union Tribune*
With some pieces having departed, it was important for the Boston Red Sox to shore up the bullpen depth, and they've started to do that. The Red Sox and LHP Matt Strahm have agreed to a one year, $3 million deal, according to Robert Murray of Fansided. The Red Sox have confirmed the deal.
The signing of Strahm is figuring to be a kind of prove it deal for the lefty. He has been good when healthy, but he was limited to only 6 games last season with the San Diego Padres, after undergoing surgery in October of 2020 to repair the patellar tendon in his right knee. He's fully recovered and ready to go for this season.
After also missing time in 2020, being limited to 19 games that year, Strahm's last fully healthy season was with the Padres in 2019. That year, Strahm posted a 6-11 record with a 4.71 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, fanning 118 hitters while walking 22 across 114 2/3 innings, in 16 starts and 30 relief appearances.
Strahm has experience in the rotation and the bullpen, but it appears he is best fit for the bullpen, due to his injury history and struggles starting. In his 6 big league seasons, Strahm has a 13-24 record with a 2.81 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, throwing 260 innings across 25 starts and 132 relief appearances.
Due to his starting experience, Strahm can be deployed by new manager Alex Cora as a multi inning reliever, which could be especially important at the beginning of the season, as it's unknown how this shortened spring training could affect innings workloads for the starting pitchers. Strahm features two fastballs, along with a slider, curveball, and changeup, a good mix of pitches for a reliever.
Strahm enters Red Sox camp as one of a good amount of lefty relievers, with Austin Davis, Josh Taylor, and Darwinzon Hernandez already in the fold. He has a spot in the bullpen all but locked up, with Matt Barnes, Hirokazu Sawamura, and Ryan Brasier among the other relievers in the group.
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