Law: Orioles acquire Feldman, send Strop to the Cubs

After struggling much of the previous three years in Texas, Scott Feldman has been having a solid bounceback year with the Cubs, putting up a 3.46 ERA over 15 starts spanning 91 innings. His performance, and the Cubs' lack of success, has had him mentioned as one of the most likely pitchers to be dealt by the trade deadline on July 31.

Per Keith Law on Twitter, the Cubs have gone ahead and pulled the trigger on a deal, sending Feldman and minor leaguer Steve Clevenger to the Baltimore Orioles for pitcher Jake Arrieta, reliever Pedro Strop, and international bonus pool slots.

Strop is, like Feldman, a former Ranger, a guy who Texas sent to Baltimore for reliever Mike Gonzalez when Strop was on his last option year in 2011. Strop had a great arm but never earned the trust of Ron Washington, meaning the Rangers had to trade him or lose him, since he wasn't going to be in the major league pen in 2012. Strop posted a 2.44 ERA in 2012 for the Orioles, albeit with a K:BB ratio that suggested that that level of success was unlikely to continue. His 2013 season has been a disaster so far, allowing a 7.25 ERA in 22 innings, but there's talent there, and the Cubs are in a situation where they can work to try to get him back on track.

Arrieta, who pitched for Plano East, Weatherford College and TCU, was an Oriole anti-success story, going from being a top 100 prospect in 2009 and 2010, to posting a 4.66 ERA in 18 starts as a rookie, to posting a 5.05 ERA in 22 starts in 2011, to posting a 6.20 ERA in 24 games (18 starts) last year, to posting a 7.23 ERA in five starts this year. The Cubs will presumably work on him as a reclamation project.