According to a report from the Sun-Times, the Cubs avoided arbitration with RHP Pedro Strop on a one-year contract for $4.4 million.
Pedro Strop will receive $4.4 million after making $2.525 million last year. Strop was projected for a salary between $4.3-4.5 million for 2016. Strop is under club control for two more seasons.
The Cubs have not avoided arbitration with only two players at this point, RHP Jake Arrieta and OF Chris Coghlan.
Pedro Strop had a very, very good season with a lot of success against every team but one. Maddon leaned on Strop rather heavily. Strop appeared in a career-high 76 games and completed a career-high 68 innings. Strop was 2-6 with three saves, a 2.91 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 3.16 WHIP. Strop gave up 24 runs, 22 earned, on 39 hits with 29 walks and 81 strikeouts in 68 innings.
Strop’s numbers look worse than he performed due to the way he pitched against the Cardinals. Strop was 0-2 versus the Redbirds in 11 games with an 11.05 ERA and 2.18 WHIP. Strop gave up nine runs, all earned, on 10 hits with six walks, two hit by pitch and eight strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.
Maddon figured out the best way to use Strop was at the beginning of an inning. Strop allowed 12 of the 26 runners he inherited to score (46 %). Strop made 57 of his 76 appearances last season without any runners on base.
The Cubs have avoided arbitration with seven of the nine arbitration eligible players: Travis Wood ($6.17 million), Justin Grimm ($1.275 million), Rex Brothers ($1.42 million), Clayton Richard ($2 million, plus incentives), Hector Rondon ($4.2 million) and Adam Warren ($1.7 million).