Pedro Strop Has Been Ridiculous and Other Bullets

pedro strop cubsWe are so very close to reaching the $12,000 goal for the BN Blogathon fundraiser for Make-A-Wish. That’s enough to sponsor two wishes, and we’re just $380 away. That’s also $380 away from locking me up for 36 STRAIGHT hours on Tuesday and Wednesday (I’m not rounding up for the final hour – we’ve actually got to get to $12,000). Once again: I can’t thank you all enough. This is a very, very good thing that you’ve done.

  • Things got dicey after Chris Rusin left the game last night. Each of Pedro Strop and Kevin Gregg allowed three baserunners in their inning of work, but no runs. Dale Sveum was particularly effusive in his praise of Strop. “Strop … that’s what stuff does,” Sveum said, per ESPN. “When you have stuff and you need to strike guys out with guys on third base and less than two outs … that was one of our most exciting innings of the year.” Get ready to have your eyes popped: since joining the Cubs, Strop’s thrown 9.2 innings, allowed no runs, four hits, and three walks, while striking out 12. That is pretty much as good as it gets. Strop is 28, and projects to be under team control through 2017. No, he won’t keep pitching like this, and yes, some of the wildness concerns will probably pop up at some point. But the Cubs really may have landed a good one in that Feldman deal (and I haven’t even mentioned Jake Arrieta, whom it looks like we’ll see in a doubleheader on Tuesday).
  • Nate Schierholtz has been well-received by the folks in San Francisco, where he played for most of his career before coming to the Cubs (by way of a trade to the Phillies last year). More eye popping for your pleasure/pain: over a seven-game hitting streak, Schierholtz is hitting .455/.520/1.045 with four doubles and three homers. Although I still think there’s a whole lot of sense in keeping him for next year, he couldn’t have picked a better time to get crazy hot and give the Cubs some options this week.
  • Speaking of options this week, Dale Sveum called those Jeff Samardzija rumors “silly.” Dale Sveum told the media yesterday (Carrie Muskat): “I don’t think that’s going to happen. We have control of a guy for 2 1/2 more years. I think think somebody had to throw something out there and was bored and put some silly rumor out there.” I join Sveum in his doubt that anything would actually happen with Samardzija, but, strictly speaking, the rumor was simply that the Cubs were “listening” on Samardzija. Why wouldn’t they listen? Trading Samardzija, however, is an entirely different thing. And those two more years of control are huge – not only do they make Samardzija’s price to acquire in trade exorbitant, but they make him hugely valuable to the Cubs’ organization. The future and the rebuild are the things, but I can say with confidence that the Cubs don’t want to suck in 2014. (You can see Muskat’s piece there for more from Samardzija, himself, on the “silly” rumor.)
  • Reliever Chang-Yong Lim is another step closer to being ready after working his way back from Tommy John surgery (the Cubs signed him this offseason as a reclamation project), having now been promoted to AAA. I still believe the Cubs would like to be able to give him a look in late August or September, assuming there is a 40-man spot readily available to him. Then again, those 40-man spots could become a premium this Winter as the Cubs look toward the Rule 5 Draft. Of course, theoretically, Lim could pitch well in August and September, and then be traded in the offseason (he’s under control for 2014).
  • Matt Loosen, who was earlier this year sent from AA down to High-A and responded by embarrassing everyone else in the league, is now headed back to AA for a third chance (he got an unsuccessful look at AA last year, too). He’s got the stuff to be a successful back-end starter down the road, but first, he’s gotta make that AA adjustment.
  • Alex Remington at FanGraphs digs into “strong” and “weak” divisions over the years, which makes for an interesting overall read. Notable? The tallies are pre-2013, and the NL Central shows up as often on the “strong” list as on the “weak” list. In other words, remember the 20+ years of hearing how weak the NL Central was? I’m not so sure that was ever true. And it sure as hell isn’t true now.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Oof: Blake Snell to the Injured List Just Three Horrible Starts into His Giants Career

    Just three starts into his San Francisco Giants career, Blake Snell is heading to the injured list with a left-adductor strain. Oof. You hate to even say it — and who really knows if this was related — but early...

    It’s Gotten Impossible to Not Comment on the White Sox Making Futility History

    In 1997, I was a miserable Chicago Cubs fan. I mean, that was true a lot of the time, but I mean it in a very specific way that year: the Cubs had started the season 0-14. They had literally...

    My God, Jordan Wicks … Save Some Awesomeness for the Rest of us!

    Cubs rookie starter Jordan Wicks has been impressing us all season long with his apparent offseason transformation (which led to more velocity on his heater and movement on his slider). But last night against the Astros? That was a whole...

    Cardinals Demote Uber Prospect Jordan Walker Back to Triple-A

    On Wednesday, the St. Louis Cardinals announced that infielder José Fermín and LHP John King would be coming to join the big league squad in place of LHP Zack Thompson and ... uber outfield prospect Jordan Walker. You just hate...

    Was Ben Brown’s Usage Last Night a Hint for His Role Going Forward?

    The pitching staff has undergone a lot of changes over the past few weeks, and at the center of it all is Ben Brown, the Cubs No. 2 pitching prospect, who's been used out of the 'pen and rotation so...

    Bellinger Optimistic Post-Injury, Busch’s Defense, Almonte Stock Rising, Tauchman Slugging, and Other Cubs Bullets

    I recently stumbled onto this live cover of Linger by The Cranberries and I can't stop listening to it. Give it a go. I bet you like it. In case you missed it last night, Cody Bellinger exited last night's...

    Chicago Cubs Org Homer Party: 13 Homers for the Organization

    The big league Cubs last night beat the Astros largely on the strength of the long ball, scoring six of their seven runs that way. Cody Bellinger kicked things off with a monster two-run shot, and Mike Tauchman followed with...

    Oh, Come On: Cody Bellinger Lifted Mid-Game with an Apparent Injury (UPDATE: X-Rays Negative)

    The Cubs cannot catch a break this year, man. They've already dealt with injuries to Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Drew Smyly, Julian Merryweather, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ (did I forget anyone?). And tonight, it seems maybe something...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 7, Astros 2 – April 23, 2024

    Well there was one big thing not to like about tonight's game - Cody Bellinger was lifted with a right rib contusion after colliding with the outfield wall - and about a million things that were great. And since we...

    Mike Tauchman Did it AGAIN – Second Oppo Homer of the Game!

    Nothing like a little insurance late. Mike Tauchman, who already hit his first home run of the season earlier in this game, just hit his second home run in the 8th! Another opposite field blast for Tauchman, who's been hitting...

    Latest News

    Oof: Blake Snell to the Injured List Just Three Horrible Starts into His Giants Career

    Just three starts into his San Francisco Giants career, Blake Snell is heading to the injured list with a left-adductor strain. Oof. You hate to even say it — and who really knows if this was related — but early...

    Padres vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The San Diego Padres (13-13) are set to take on the Colorado Rockies (6-18) Wednesday at 8:40 PM ET, airing on SDPA. The Padres are listed as -157 favorites by bookmakers, while the underdog Rockies have +132 odds for the...

    Houston Texans 3-Round Mock Draft: Prioritizing a Strong Defense

    The Houston Texans killed the NFL Draft last year, selecting the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year with back-to-back picks, and they also drafted a solid wide receiver in Tank Dell. Houston also had...

    Amon-Ra St. Brown Signs MASSIVE Extention With Lions

    We have a new highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL! According to a report from NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the Lions have made Amon-Ra St. Brown the richest wideout in the NFL with a four-year, $120 million contract extension...

    Blue Jays vs. Royals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Toronto Blue Jays (13-11) visit the Kansas City Royals (14-10) at 7:40 PM ET Wednesday for a sluggers' duel between two of the best home-run hitters in baseball. Daulton Varsho has racked up six homers this season (No. 7...

    Twins vs. White Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Chicago White Sox (3-20) will try to end their five-game losing streak when they visit the Minnesota Twins (9-13) on Wednesday at 7:40 PM ET on BSN. Sportsbooks consider the Twins to be -200 favorites for the contest, while...

    Cubs vs. Astros Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Houston Astros (7-17) are the underdogs on the moneyline (-105) in Wednesday's contest versus the Chicago Cubs (14-9). Game time is set for 7:40 PM ET on SCHN. The Astros are favored against the spread in this one (1.5)...

    Rangers vs. Mariners Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Seattle Mariners (12-11) are the underdogs on the moneyline (+101) in Wednesday's contest with the Texas Rangers (12-12). First pitch is at 8:05 PM ET on BSSW. The Mariners are favored against the spread in this one (1.5) with...

    Jaylen Brown Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Heat – NBA Playoffs Game 2, Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    Jaylen Brown must make three 3-pointers to beat his over/under when the Boston Celtics play the Miami Heat on Wednesday at 7:00 PM ET, in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs.Jaylen Brown's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs....

    Jayson Tatum Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Heat – NBA Playoffs Game 2, Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    Jayson Tatum must make three 3-pointers to beat his prop when the Boston Celtics play the Miami Heat on Wednesday at 7:00 PM ET, in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs.Jayson Tatum's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs....

    more cubs news