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Chicago Cubs: Pedro Strop should get the chance to be the closer
In his six seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Pedro Strop has primarily served as the setup man. But it’s time for him to take that next step and become the closer.
Pedro Strop has been one of the best, if not the best, Chicago Cubs relievers of all time. During his career on the North Side he has accumulated 114 career holds, most of which have come in high-leverage situations. The setup man holds the Cubs record for most holds by quite a large margin over Carlos Marmol who has just 83.
During his tenure as a Cub, Strop has pitched 331 1/3 innings to the tune of a 2.63 ERA and a 1.020 WHIP. At times he’s been an extremely dominant pitcher, striking out 376 batters, while also being able to limit baserunners, allowing just 127 walks.
Strop put it all together again in 2018, turning in perhaps his best season yet in the big leagues. On the year the right-hander posted a 2.26 ERA, his lowest since he arrived in Chicago back in 2013. In 59 2/3 innings pitched this season, Strop also managed to cut down his walks, allowing 21 free passes, five fewer than a year ago.
The Dominican Republic native solidified the back-end of the bullpen for the last couple of seasons but last year, the Cubs also had to lean on him to close out ballgames. Strop didn’t back down nor did he disappoint, earning 13 saves in lieu of the injured Brandon Morrow.
Chicago Cubs: Morrow doesn’t have what it takes anymore
Last offseason, the Cubs brought Morrow in to take over for Wade Davis as their closer. They knew it would be a high-risk, high-reward kind of deal when they signed him, due to Morrow’s inability to stay healthy.
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Initially, the right-hander came in and performed exactly like the Cubs hoped he would. He locked down 22 saves and had an ERA of just 1.47. However, injuries caught up with Morrow and he landed on the disabled list on two separate occasions. His second stint on the DL in mid-July sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
Frankly, Morrow is not cut out to be a closer. He doesn’t have the ability to pitch in three consecutive games or even sometimes two games in a row if the Cubs need him to. He needs more rest than Joe Maddon is able to give him which is why he is better served as a setup man.
Before joining the Cubs, Morrow served as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ setup man and was lights-out. In 2017 Morrow appeared in 45 games and pitched 43 2/3 innings to go along with a 2.06 ERA.
The Cubs got their best look at Morrow in the NLCS in 2017 when Morrow gave up just one hit and one walk in 4 2/3 innings against them. He surrendered no runs and struck out seven batters in the four games he faced the Cubs.
Chicago Cubs: Strop is the right man for the job
Following the Morrow injury, Maddon claimed that the Cubs would move to a closer-by-committee as opposed to naming a new closer. That plan quickly faltered as Strop showed he was more than capable of handling the job himself.
The 13 saves he recorded in Morrow’s absence set a new career-high for him as he had only saved nine games total in his entire career. Strop didn’t miss a beat in his new role and in his last 15 regular season appearances he only gave up a single run.
Not only does Strop have electric stuff on the mound to be a closer, he also has the drive and the mindset. Following a hamstring injury late in the season, Strop rushed back before he was healthy to pitch in the Cubs Wild Card game against the Colorado Rockies.
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He pitched a shutout inning with two strikeouts only to later say he pitched with so much pain he would not be available for the next round had the Cubs made it. Of course, you absolutely would prefer him to be healthy, but that’s the kind of guy you want pitching for you with the game on the line in the ninth.