Pedro Strop Says Cubs Wanted Him Back, ‘Salary Cap’ Kept Offer to $1M or Less
Ain’t nobody hurt you like I hurt you
But ain’t nobody love you like I do
Promise that I will not take it personal, baby
If you’re moving on with someone new
— Ed Sheeran, Happier
Pedro Strop is one of the best relievers in Cubs history, but he was pitching against them Wednesday afternoon in a Reds uniform. It was a bittersweet moment, not at all unlike the reunion with Joe Maddon earlier in the week at Sloan Park, one that was both muted and amplified by the relaxed atmosphere at Goodyear Park.
Former teammates ragged the righty from the dugout, exhorting him to stick with fastballs instead of breaking balls and telling him he stunk. That last part was just a joke, not a reference to the cologne Strop copped to wearing too much of. Or was it?
“Usually, I’m really focused and look like I’m mad,” Strop told reporters after his inning of work. “But today, I couldn’t. I couldn’t. I couldn’t do that. It was fun. I was happy to see my ex-teammates in there, enjoying the moment, me pitching against them. Me, too. I enjoyed the moment.”
Enjoying the moment could be the title of Strop’s memoir, though you can’t swing a cat on social media without hitting someone who felt quite the opposite about watching him pitch. Even those who loved him unconditionally weren’t pictures of serenity when he took the mound, especially during a 2019 campaign that saw him struggle with both command and control.
Under normal circumstances, that performance would have made it easy to part with a 34-year-old whose health had betrayed him too frequently. Except the Cubs aren’t operating under normal circumstances for a large-market team that expects to compete for a division title. They let proven pitchers like Strop, Steve Cishek, and Brandon Kintzler leave in free agency, replacing them with…well, we don’t really know yet.
David Ross will be selecting eight relievers from among a cast of cast-offs and Pitch Lab hopefuls, a strategy that might actually end up working out really well if everything breaks the right way. It’ll have to if the Cubs hope to make it through July without dismantling the roster to cut even more salary and set the stage for a mini-rebuild. Strict adherence to a reduced budget, something ownership has downplayed in spite of the evidence, meant moving on from players who wanted to earn north of seven figures.
Strop joined the Reds on a one-year, $1.825 million deal that is only a quarter-million less than the Cubs devoted to the only two guaranteed contracts — Steven Souza Jr. for $1M and Jeremy Jeffress for $850K — they inked this winter. Though they obviously value the kind of leadership Strop supplied and reportedly wanted to bring him back, they simply weren’t willing or able to pay him.
“They did try hard to bring me back,” Strop admitted. “It’s just money-wise, they couldn’t, because they weren’t allowed [with] all the salary cap stuff; they wanted to try to stay below. You could see they haven’t signed anybody over $1 million.
“I don’t feel bad, like, ‘Oh, they don’t want me no more,’ because they were there. They made me feel good. Even when I didn’t have my best year, they tried to bring me back.”
Did they really try, though? I mean, it’s understandable that the Cubs couldn’t compete with the kind of cash noted financial juggernaut Cincinnati was throwing around this summer. Even so, you’d think they could have offered more than roughly half what the Reds threw at Strop. Right?
“I don’t want to give so much details about that, but like I told you before, they haven’t done more than $1 million,” the pitcher confirmed. “So you can throw your numbers in there.”
There’s no more value to be found in relitigating the Cubs’ lack of spending or Strop’s departure, not that such futility matters when he stayed in the division to join a team that outspent the rest of MLB in free agency. Perhaps it’s best to simply wish the colorful reliever well and enjoy the opportunity to see him 19 times a year. And hey, maybe he’ll pipe a few fastballs or hang the occasional slider for old time’s sake.
“It’s been easy,” Strop said of adjusting to a new clubhouse. “The boys are a great group of guys also here, and I’m really glad and happy to be here and help them to win.”
Ain’t nobody hurt you like I hurt you
But ain’t nobody love you like I do
Promise that I will not take it personal, baby
If you’re moving on with someone new
