Chicago Cubs: Pedro Strop reportedly down to Marlins and Rangers
By Ryan Sikes
Pedro Strop was open to returning to the Chicago Cubs in 2020, but per a report, he is down to choosing between the Miami Marlins and Texas Rangers.
When the Chicago Cubs acquired Pedro Strop and Jake Arrieta from the Baltimore Orioles in July 2013, Strop was believed to be the prize of that acquisition. Little did they know what Arrieta was going to blossom into. That’s not to say that Strop was not good. It was quite the opposite as he posted six consecutive seasons of sub-3.00 ERA out of the bullpen.
Strop got a bad rap during his time here because when he was off, it was a complete trainwreck. But those occasions were few and far between. Shortly after the 2019 season ended, Strop indicated that a return to the Cubs was his priority, but he would also welcome a Plan B. It appears that the latter is going to occur as he is reportedly down to either the Miami Marlins or Texas Rangers.
The Cubs were in conversations with the big righty, but it seems that he outpriced himself or wasn’t willing to sign one of those minor league deals that the front office has become quite fond of this offseason. It’s been a disappointing offseason for the north siders, to say the least. Now under new leadership in rookie manager David Ross, the front office has been determined to remain under the competitive balance tax.
As noted, the Cubs have made several minor-league deals with the hope that a couple of reliable bullpen arms will emerge from the pack. Craig Kimbrel will return as the team’s closer next year, and the 31-year-old is hoping for a bounce-back year after posting career-worsts in H/9, HR/9, and K/9. Both Rowan Wick and Kyle Ryan are expected to have an increased workload in 2020, and we will monitor how they perform in that role.
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The Cubs will need to find reliable arms for the 6th and 7th innings, and we’ll get our first look at the candidates when Spring Training games get underway starting February 22. But for now, it looks like a goodbye to Pedro Strop in Chicago.