The Chicago Cubs brought Pedro Strop back to the team on a no-risk, minor league deal. The thought, he has been one of the most successful relief pitchers in Cubs’ history, and since there wasn’t a financial impact, they wanted to see what he could provide.
If Strop found some of that velocity he lost, and found some of his old ways, he would be a very dominate force at the backend of a bullpen that should be sneaky good in 2021. But… then he went out Franmil Reyes, a frequent violator of league COVID rules. With the pair pictured in a now-deleted Instagram post, Strop has been withheld from the team.
In since-deleted social media post, Strop was shown out with repeat violator Franmil Reyes of Cleveland, in violation of protocols.
— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubMLB) March 7, 2021
This is where things get sticky. A player that would have certainly been on the bubble, is now putting the rest of the team in jeopardy. Yes, professional athletes are less likely to get bad effects from COVID, but they aren’t immune.
It would take a lot for me to completely turn against Stroppy, I love the dude and am forever in the Strop camp. But, this just wasn’t smart. When you are on the bubble, you can’t afford mistakes – especially this large of a mistake. There are many fans that (ignorantly) cried about the signing to begin with, now this gives them reason to cry out for his release.
