Reds rumors: Pedro Strop very close to deal with Cincinnati Reds

For those fans wanting Cincinnati to add to their bullpen, the latest Reds rumors will make you smile. The Reds are reportedly close to a deal with Pedro Strop.

According to MLB insider Héctor Gómez, the Cincinnati Reds are very close to a deal with right-handed reliever Pedro Strop. These latest Reds rumors come on the heels of the front office adding another former Chicago Cubs player, Nick Castellanos, to the team this past week. Strop would add another solid arm to the Cincinnati bullpen.

Most Reds fans might not have the highest opinion of Pedro Strop following a confrontation between he and then Cincinnati Reds outfielder Yasiel Puig. Strop plunked Puig on the thigh during a contest last June that enraged Puig and eventually resulted in the benches clearing. After the game, Strop referred to Puig as stupid.

But, if these latest Reds rumors turn into an actual signing, hopefully the fanbase can put that little incident behind them. While Puig was beloved during his short stay in the Queen City, Strop will find that same love if he’s able to get outs late in games. That wasn’t on the agenda last season, as Strop had, perhaps, the worst season of his career.

Strop went 2-5 in 2019 with a 4.97 ERA, appearing in 50 games and striking out 49 opposing hitters. Over the past five full seasons as a member of the Chicago relief corps, Strop had an ERA of 2.61, 18 saves and a FIP of 3.10.

Pedro Strop has had some success at Great American Ball Park over the years. Found to be a hitter’s paradise more times than not, Strop has found a way to keep the ball in the ballpark, allowing just one home run in 22 games played.

In fact, giving up the long ball is something that Strop does not do often. Until last season, when Strop allowed six balls to leave the yard, the right-hander had not surrendered more than five homers in a season. For his career, Strop’s HR/9 is 0.6. Compare that to current Reds closer Raisel Iglesias, who has a career-HR/9 of 1.1 and last year saw that number jump to 1.6.

The Cincinnati Reds bullpen is not in shambles, in fact, it’s far from it. The backend of the bullpen features the likes of Iglesias, Michael Lorenzen, Amir Garrett and Robert Stephenson. Cincinnati has also added Tyler Thornburg, Nate Jones and David Carpenter to minor-league deals.

If these latest Reds rumors turn into a signing, Cincinnati fans may have to get used seeing one of their own with a unique style to his headgear. Pedro Strop is well known for the awkward way he wears his ball cap, slightly crooked to the left. But hey, as long as it results in strikeouts, he can wear his hat however he likes. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic has confirmed the report, but the deal won’t be final until Strop passes the physical.