You’d think there’s gotta be more to this story, given that he came up briefly this year and looked like a capable big league pitcher. But Pedro Strop, who was otherwise in on a minor league deal, was never permanently called up to the big league bullpen, and then went on leave from the team for personal reasons.
And now he’s out of the organization entirely:
The Cubs have announced that Pedro Strop has elected free agency. There were no hard feelings from either side, and the Cubs remain open to bringing Strop back in some capacity in the future.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) May 5, 2021
The phrasing in Bastian’s report, as well as the others out there (presumably from the Cubs), is a little odd. My guess would have been that Strop had an early May opt-out in his minor league deal – most veterans have one or more opt outs in their minor league deals if they haven’t been added to the 40-man roster – but that language isn’t used for whatever reasons. I still think that’s probably what happened: Strop had an opt out available, exercised it, the Cubs declined to add him to the 40-man roster, and then he elected free agency.
We’ll probably get a little more information on the particulars soon, including whether Strop is about to sign with another organization, or if he’s decided to retire or something. Right now, I’m kinda scratching my head. I would have thought the Cubs would want to give Strop a longer look in the big league bullpen before letting him walk. Yes, it’s a crowded group, but he looked good this spring and in his brief fill-in during the mini-COVID-issue earlier this season. Maybe my nostalgia was playing tricks on me, and maybe the Cubs just felt he wasn’t in a position to contribute any time soon. I guess we’ll see.
And whenever his playing days are up, here’s hoping Strop finds a home back with the Cubs in some role.