Strop elected free agency Wednesday, Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
After being removed from the Cubs' active roster April 17, Strop didn't report to the team's alternate site, instead choosing to return home to his native Dominican Republic. Since Strop didn't have any intention of heading to Triple-A Iowa for the start of the minor-league season, the two sides agreed to part ways while leaving the door open for a reunion down the road. For now, Strop will aim to find work with another organization, presumably one that can present him with a clearer path to a spot in a big-league bullpen.
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Cubs' Pedro Strop: Takes personal leave
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Strop has taken a personal leave of absence from the Cubs, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Strop was sent to the Cubs' alternate training site in mid-April, but the right-hander posted a picture of himself in the Dominican Republic on Sunday. The Cubs have yet to comment on Strop's status, and it's not yet clear when he could return to the team.
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Cubs' Pedro Strop: Returned to alternate camp
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Strop was returned to the Cubs' alternate training site Saturday, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Strop had joined the major-league roster as a replacement player over the past several days, and he tossed two scoreless innings in two relief appearances. However, he'll head back to the team's alternate camp after Brandon Workman and Dan Winkler were reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list.
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Cubs' Pedro Strop: Earns first win since 2019
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Strop (1-0) worked around a hit and a walk to pitch a scoreless inning of relief and earn the win Tuesday against the Brewers. He struck out one.
Strop picked up his first win since July 19, 2019, as he only pitched 2.1 innings in the majors last year for the Reds. The veteran was added to the Cubs' roster Monday as a replacement player with three relievers placed on the COVID-19 injured list. The win is a nice moment for the fan favorite, but Strop doesn't hold a ton of fantasy value in his current role.
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Cubs' Pedro Strop: Selected as replacement player
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Strop was selected as a replacement player by the Cubs on Monday.
The unusual designation means Strop can be removed from the 40-man roster without passing through waivers. He's needed on an emergency basis with the Cubs placing three relievers on the COVID-19 injured list Monday. The 35-year-old had several good seasons for the Cubs in the middle of the last decade, but he's struggled to a 4.91 ERA over the last two seasons.
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Cubs' Pedro Strop: Sent to minors
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Strop was reassigned to minor-league camp Saturday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Strop has only been able to log three innings in Cactus League play as he was delayed by COVID-19 protocols earlier in the spring, so he was facing an uphill battle to make the Opening Day roster. The veteran reliever has had some good moments with the Cubs during his career and will give the team some organizational depth this season.
Strop has yet to pitch in a Cactus League game after being delayed by COVID-19 protocols, but he should be able to make his debut soon, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Strop had to isolate from the team after violating the league's health and safety protocols, so he's been unable to appear in a Cactus League game yet. The veteran reliever tossed a bullpen session Sunday and likely will do so again this week before getting into a game. It remains to be seen whether he'll be able to get ready for a potential Opening Day roster spot. Strop is currently a non-roster invitee, so his role is certainly not secure, though he does have some goodwill with the Cubs based on his past performance.
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Cubs' Pedro Strop: Returns to camp
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Strop (COVID-19 protocols) was cleared to rejoin the Cubs for workouts Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Strop was away from the team for a couple of days after the Cubs were made aware that he violated MLB's COVID-19 protocols. The veteran reliever has continued to test negative for the virus since going into self-isolation, allowing him to get the green light to quickly rejoin the team. The brief absence shouldn't affect Strop's chances of making the Cubs' Opening Day roster.
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Cubs' Pedro Strop: Could be back mid-week
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Cubs manager David Ross said Strop (COVID-19 protocols) could rejoin the team for workouts as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday, Maddie Lee of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Strop was forced to begin a quarantine period Sunday after he was found to have violated MLB's COVID-19 protocols, but Ross noted Monday that the veteran reliever never tested positive for the virus himself. Assuming Strop continues to test negative over the next 48 hours, he should be cleared to return to camp. A non-roster invitee, Strop is one of several relievers vying for a spot in the Cubs' Opening Day bullpen.
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Cubs' Pedro Strop: Violates health protocols
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Strop is isolating from the team after violating the league's health and safety protocols, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
The veteran right-hander will need to clear some additional protocols before he is able to rejoin the team. Strop is competing for a roster spot as a non-roster invitee, so his absence for spring games could prove costly, depending on how long he's sidelined.
Strop lost 20 pounds during the offseason and is fully healthy to begin spring training, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Strop dealt with hip and groin injuries last season but is a non-roster invitee during spring training with the Cubs. The right-hander is hopeful that his weight loss will help him avoid some of the lower-body injuries that he's dealt with in the past while also improving his flexibility. The right-hander made 54 relief appearances with the Cubs and Reds across the past two seasons and posted a 4.91 ERA and 52:26 K:BB over 44 innings.
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Cubs' Pedro Strop: Back with Cubs
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Strop signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Wednesday as a non-roster invitee, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Strop signed with the Cubs for the final month of the 2020 season, and he'll return to the team to compete for a major-league roster spot during spring training. The right-hander failed to appear in the big leagues with Chicago last year but has made 54 relief appearances with the Cubs and Reds over the past two seasons. During that time, he posted a 4.91 ERA and 52:26 K:BB over 44 innings.
Strop signed with the Cubs on Friday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Strop was released by the Reds on Tuesday, but he'll return to a familiar destination with the Cubs. He'll report to alternate camp initially, but he could certainly join the major-league roster at some point, especially given the Cubs' bullpen woes this season. The right-hander made four relief appearances with the Reds this year, posting a 3.86 ERA and 3.00 WHIP over 2.1 innings.
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Pedro Strop: Cut loose by Reds
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Strop was released by the Reds on Tuesday, Andersen Pickard of MLBDailyDish.com reports.
The 35-year-old walked six batters in just 2.1 innings of work this season prior to being sidelined by a groin injury. While he recorded an ERA below 3.00 for five straight seasons from 2014 to 2018, his age and recent injury combined with his struggles last season (4.97 ERA) will likely make him a fairly unappealing option on the free agent market.
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Reds' Pedro Strop: Designated for assignment
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The Reds activated Strop (groin) from the injured list and designated him for assignment, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
It's a little surprising that the Reds have parted ways with Strop, but this was done to make room on the 40-man roster for Jose Garcia. Strop was late in reporting to the Reds' summer camp before the sprint season began, struggled with his control once the season started (six walks in 2.1 innings) and then went on the IL with a groin injury.
