Regardless of personal feelings on Pedro Strop, he has been the Chicago Cubs best relief pitcher since Bruce Sutter. In fact, there are several stats that suggest he was every bit as good as Sutter was.
Yes, 2019 was a disaster. You cannot sugarcoat this. From ineffectiveness when asked to close, to injuries, to never really getting a footing under him, Strop had a very underwhelming final season in Chicago.
According to Ben Nicolson-Smith of Sportsnet, Strop is considering offers from several teams.
Marlins, Cubs, Rangers & Brewers are believed to be among the teams with some interest in Pedro Strop
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) January 20, 2020
Strop, who earned $6.25 million in 2019, would likely come rather inexpensively for 2020. I’d also imagine that after a poor 2019, he would likely command a one year deal, or potentially a deal with an option year.
I would love to see Strop back in the fold. If they can get pre-2019 Stropy, that could be a giant get for a team that already has a Hall of Fame closer and potentially getting Brandon Morrow back in time for Spring Training. Pairing all three at the end of ballgames ***IF HEALTHY*** will create an impressive backend of the pen. Then add guys like Kyle Ryan, Rowan Wick, Tyler Chatwood (if he’s not starting), and Brad Wieck – this could be a better bullpen than originally expected.
