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I know that there’s a portion of Cubs fans who don’t really care about Pedro Strop and it’s not like I’m heartbroken that he apparently won’t be coming back in 2020, but goddamn why does it have to be the Reds.
According to Hector Gomez, Strop is nearing a deal to sign with the Reds less than a week after Nick Casteallnos signed with the Cubs’ division rival.
Strop, 34, spent the last 6.5 years with the Cubs, coming over in that famous Jake Arrieta trade from the Orioles in 2013. Strop had six straight seasons of posting an ERA below three before he struggled in 2019. He really wasn’t the same after April, with his velocity taking a dip and Strop landed on the injured list a few times, missing big chunks of the season. Overall in 2019, Strop had a 4.97 ERA in 41.2 innings.
During his Cubs career, Strop made 411 appearances, recording a 2.90 ERA in 373 innings, with 29 saves. Unfortunately, there was way too much time during his Cubs stint that fans focussed on dumb shit like his hat being tilted, or the fixation over a couple bad games against the Cardinals, that Strop never really received the appreciation that he deserved.
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Now, he’s going to be pitching for the damn Reds.
