UPDATE: It turns out Thursday’s rumor from Dave Williams of Barstool Sports was not accurate. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers says the Cubs are the ones who will be signing Pedro Strop to a minor league deal, per a source.
The reliever was originally believed to have signed with the White Sox, adding some depth to a struggling a bullpen. The team will now have to search elsewhere if they hope to bolster their pitching before the season’s end.
After failing to make any moves prior to Monday’s trade deadline, the White Sox appear to have gone in a different direction to add pitching depth. According to Dave Williams of Barstool Sports, the team has signed right-handed relief pitcher Pedro Strop to a minor league contract.
Strop, 35, last appeared for the Cincinnati Reds at the start of this season before landing on the injured list with a groin injury. The veteran made just four appearances, throwing 2.1 innings with three strikeouts, six walks, a 3.86 ERA, 8.27 FIP, and 3.000 WHIP. Upon his activation on August 26th, Strop was quickly designated for assignment and then released five days later.
For most, the reliever is probably better known from his seven years spent with the Cubs (2013-19), where he had much more success. On the North Side, Strop owned a 2.90 ERA, 3.19 FIP, 1.048 WHIP, and 10.3 SO/9 over 411 games (373.0 IP). His numbers in 2019, however, were the worst of his career as he battled injuries and a walk-rate that spiked to 11.2 percent.
James Fox of Future Sox responded to Williams’ original tweet saying he also heard that Strop was in camp, though this signing has not yet been officially announced. These reports come about a week after Bleacher Nation published an article saying that Strop was in Chicago, per the pitcher’s Instagram story.
It’s currently hard to tell what impact Strop will have on the White Sox, if any, given his recent battles with injury. Assuming he can stay healthy, taking a cheap gamble on the reliever and hoping he resorts back to his old ways could give the Sox a serviceable arm out of what has been a solid, but recently regressing bullpen. Such depth is necessary if the Sox are serious about making a run in October, though their lack of additions at the deadline suggests they are more focussed on allowing their young talent to get experience and development foremost.
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