Pedro Strop, Cincinnati Reds close to deal, per report

MLB Rumors: Pedro Strop and the Cincinnati Reds are close to a deal, according to Hector Gomez on Twitter. Gomez had reported last week that the Texas Rangers and the Miami Marlins were finalists for the free agent right handed reliever, although apparently, that’s now changed.

Strop, who turns 35 in June, started his pro career as an outfielder in the Colorado Rockies organization before converting to pitching. He made his major league debut with the Rangers in 2009, and was sent to the Baltimore Orioles in 2011 in an August deal for lefty reliever Mike Gonzalez. Strop was later sent, along with Jake Arrieta, to the Chicago Cubs for Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger. Strop was a quality late inning arm for the Cubs until last season, but he seems like a decent gamble to bounce back in 2020.