Chicago Cubs: Top five players who won’t be around next season

Chicago Cubs: More pitchers on the bus out of Chicago

Pedro Strop – RHP

Pedro Strop has an uncanny knack of delivering in big games which seems to overshadow the lackluster performances he has most of the season. This season has been different from the absence of Carl Edwards Jr., who used to take most of the beating from fans while Strop’s performances were overlooked.

Without Edwards around to draw the negative spotlight, there has been a beacon on Strop’s performance. In the Cubs loss to the San Francisco Giants in July, it was all Strop that sealed the Cubs fate.

The Cubs were leading 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning when Strop entered the game. Strop gives up a double to Pablo Sandoval and then a single to Brandon Crawford. Strop follows with a double to Austin Slater and then another double to Joe Panik.

By this time, the Giants now lead 5-4, and of course, the Cubs lose. Back in June, Strop did the same against the White Sox in the ninth inning when Eloy Jimenez hit a two-run, tie-breaking home run off of Strop for a win.

Strop is coming off a three-year $17.6 million contract and is going into Unrestricted Free Agency next season.

Steve Cishek – RHP

Steve Cishek was once Joe Maddon’s go-to reliever that could be counted on for multiple innings of work without any issue. His stats in 2018 of a 2.18 ERA in 80 games and 70 1/3 innings with 78 strikeouts and 28 walks was good enough to get Cishek back into the bullpen this year.

Unfortunately, with only a couple weeks left in the season, Cishek’s stats for this season are abysmal. This season, Cishek is sitting on a 3.17 ERA in only 64 games and 59 2/3 innings. Fifty-six strikeouts and 24 walks illustrate Cishek’s fall from grace.

Cishek recently took the mound to close a game against San Diego Padres and walked three consecutive batters including a walk to Manuel Margot which produced a walk-home run and the win for the Padres in 10 innings.

Cishek is coming off a two-year $13 million contract and is going into Unrestricted Free Agency next season.