Cubs News: David Ross on Pedro Strop: "One of my favorite teammates" |
The Chicago Cubs are in first place but still trying to get stronger with their bullpen depth with their recent signing of veteran reliever
Pedro Strop to a minor league deal.
Cubs manager David Ross spoke with the media during pregame of Sunday's contest against the Cardinals and discussed the plan with Stropy. "He will go to South Bend and try to get back to major league form where he can help us out," Ross said. Ross understands that Strop is tremendous in the clubhouse and well respected by everyone. "I think Pedro is a big part of this group," he said. "One of my favorite teammates I've ever had. This guy is infectious, his personality, the way he carries himself, the way he works. He can really affect the room. But, ultimately, the goal is to get him back to being able to help us on the field, that's first and foremost and then obviously all those benefits come with him." This season he had a 3.86 ERA in just four appearances with the Reds dealing with a groin injury. Strop appeared in 411 games over the past seven years in Chicago, pitching to a 2.90 ERA, struck out 425 batters in just 373 innings, and had 29 saves. No other Cubs reliever in history besides Strop had six consecutive seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA.
