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Coming into 2019, along with Steve Cishek, Pedro Strop was the only other reliever in the Cubs bullpen that fans had confidence in. Since the Cubs traded for Strop, the right-hander has had a sub-3 ERA and despite a few blowups throughout his Cubs tenure Strop has been the most consistent reliever in franchise history.
However, more than halfway into 2019, it’s become evident that Strop, whether because of injuries or simply declining, is no longer the dependable reliever the Cubs need as the set-up man to Craig Kimbrel.
Strop has had three hamstring injuries since last September. He was slowed down in spring training, but still made it on the Opening Day roster. Then, Strop went on the injured list in May and missed almost a month with another hamstring injury.
Strop’s fastball velocity is down and although he does have some clean outings and gets whiffs, the results have been hideous.
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Entering with a 4-2 lead in the eighth inning Monday night against the Giants, Strop allowed three runs on four hits. That was the third game since the All-Star break that Strop’s given up the lead in the eighth inning. The Cubs were fortunate enough to win the previous two blown games.
Strop now has a 5.47 ERA in 26.1 innings this year and although Joe Maddon still has confidence in the veteran reliever, we might see Strop’s role change going forward.
The Cubs already have a couple options in the bullpen to take over the set-up man role. You still have plenty of confidence in Steve Cishek and Brandon Kintzler is having an incredible bounce back year.
Of course, the Cubs could also look at the trade market to find another solid reliever. They’ve reportedly been talking with the Tigers and that includes discussions about Shane Greene as well.
The Cubs have been linked to Giants’ lefties Will Smith and Tony Watson since April. They were also reportedly checking in with the Blue Jays about Ken Giles, but there hasn’t been much buzz about Giles to the Cubs since that report came out in May.
And this isn’t to say that Strop is completely useless going forward. He can still play a role in the bullpen and does have the track record to give him longer leash to see if he can put it back together. But when it comes to the eighth inning, it’s time for someone else to replace Strop.
