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Pedro Strop

Pedro Strop Eyeing Comeback Attempt

By Steve Adams | May 8, 2023 at 2:52pm CDT

Longtime Cubs reliever Pedro Strop is eyeing a comeback attempt, as the right-hander himself made clear when tweeting out video of himself throwing a bullpen session this weekend. “I want to come back,” Strop wrote in yesterday’s tweet. It’s the second time in the past couple weeks that he’s alluded to a comeback by tweeting out video of a ’pen session, though yesterday’s was more direct than the first.

Strop, who’ll turn 38 in June, hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2021 and has thrown just 4 1/3 big league innings since the conclusion of the 2019 season. He’s pitched for los Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League in each of the past two offseasons, combining for 23 2/3 innings of 3.80 ERA ball with a 25.2% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate. Strop also tossed 14 innings in the 2021 Mexican League, allowing five runs (3.21 ERA) on 14 hits and five walks with 16 punchouts.

Strop’s last season with a significant amount of time spent in the Majors was back in 2019, when he limped to a 4.97 ERA in 41 2/3 frames. His 27.5% strikeout rate that year remained plenty strong, but Strop’s 11.2% walk rate was one of the highest of his career and his velocity dipped to what was then a career-low 93.6 mph. In two subsequent seasons, he tossed 4 1/3 frames between the Reds and Cubs but walked eight of his 25 opponents in that time while sitting at 91.8 mph with his heater.

Prior to those struggles, Strop was a durable and excellent reliever over a six-year stretch with the Cubs. Acquired alongside Jake Arrieta in an absolute heist of a trade with the Orioles, Strop’s first six seasons in Chicago resulted in a 2.63 ERA over 331 1/3 innings. He pitched to a sub-3.00 ERA every season, fanned 28.2% of his total opponents and walked 9.5% of them. He picked up 19 saves and another 114 holds during regular-season play along the way, and he also excelled in the postseason. Through 17 total innings, he allowed just four runs (2.12 ERA) on eight hits and six walks with 12 strikeouts — including two scoreless frames during the Cubs’ 2016 World Series run.

Time will tell whether Strop actually gets another opportunity with an affiliated club and whether he can take that hypothetical opportunity a step further and ultimately return to a big league mound. He certainly wouldn’t be the first pitcher to engineer a successful big league return in his late 30s, though. Daniel Bard returned from a seven-year MLB absence at age 35 back in 2020, and Rich Hill was also 35 by the time he kicked off a late-career renaissance that he’s still continuing into his age-43 season.

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Each MLB Team’s Players On WBC Rosters

By Darragh McDonald | February 9, 2023 at 7:30pm CDT

The World Baseball Classic is returning this year, the first time since 2017. The quadrennial event was supposed to take place in 2021 but was scuttled by the pandemic, now returning after a six-year absence. Rosters for the tournament were announced today and those can be found at this link. Here is a breakdown of which players from each MLB team are set to take participate. Quick caveat that this list is fluid and might be changed as more information becomes available.

Without further ado…

Angels

  • Glenn Albanese Jr.
  • Jaime Barria
  • Gustavo Campero
  • Alan Carter
  • Jhonathan Diaz
  • Carlos Estevez
  • David Fletcher
  • Jake Kalish
  • D’Shawn Knowles
  • Shohei Ohtani
  • Jose Quijada
  • Luis Rengifo
  • Gerardo Reyes
  • Patrick Sandoval
  • Mike Trout
  • Gio Urshela
  • Cesar Valdez
  • Zack Weiss
  • Aaron Whitefield

Astros

  • Bryan Abreu
  • Jose Altuve
  • Ronel Blanco
  • Luis Garcia
  • Colton Gordon
  • Cristian Javier
  • Martin Maldonado
  • Rafael Montero
  • Hector Neris
  • Jeremy Pena
  • Ryan Pressly
  • Andre Scrubb
  • Kyle Tucker
  • Jose Urquidy
  • Derek West

Athletics

  • Denzel Clarke
  • Jordan Diaz
  • Jake Fishman
  • Zack Gelof
  • James Gonzalez
  • Adrian Martinez
  • Joshwan Wright

Blue Jays

  • Jose Berrios
  • Jiorgeny Casimiri
  • Yimi Garcia
  • Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
  • Spencer Horwitz
  • Alejandro Kirk
  • Otto Lopez
  • Damiano Palmegiani

Braves

  • Ronald Acuna Jr.
  • Luis De Avila
  • Roel Ramirez
  • Alan Rangel
  • Eddie Rosario
  • Chadwick Tromp

Brewers

  • Willy Adames
  • Sal Frelick
  • Alex Hall
  • Matt Hardy
  • Joel Payamps
  • Rowdy Tellez
  • Abraham Toro
  • Luis Urias
  • Michele Vassalotti
  • Devin Williams

Cardinals

  • Nolan Arenado
  • Genesis Cabrera
  • Tommy Edman
  • Giovanny Gallegos
  • Paul Goldschmidt
  • Ivan Herrera
  • Matt Koperniak
  • Noah Mendlinger
  • Oscar Mercado
  • Miles Mikolas
  • Lars Nootbaar
  • Tyler O’Neill
  • JoJo Romero
  • Adam Wainwright
  • Guillermo Zuniga

Cubs

  • Javier Assad
  • Owen Caissie
  • Danis Correa
  • Ben DeLuzio
  • Roenis Elias
  • Miles Mastrobuoni
  • Matt Mervis
  • B.J. Murray Jr.
  • Vinny Nittoli
  • Fabian Pertuz
  • Liam Spence
  • Seiya Suzuki
  • Marcus Stroman
  • Pedro Strop
  • Nelson Velazquez
  • Jared Young

Diamondbacks

  • Dominic Fletcher
  • Jakob Goldfarb
  • Gunnar Groen
  • Merrill Kelly
  • Ketel Marte
  • Eric Mendez
  • Dominic Miroglio
  • Emmanuel Rivera
  • Jacob Steinmetz
  • Mitchell Stumpo
  • Alek Thomas

Dodgers

  • Austin Barnes
  • Mookie Betts
  • Freddie Freeman
  • Clayton Kershaw
  • Adam Kolarek
  • Miguel Rojas
  • Will Smith
  • Trayce Thompson
  • Julio Urias

Giants

  • Jonathan Bermudez
  • Camilo Doval
  • Joey Marciano
  • Joc Pederson

Guardians

  • Enyel De Los Santos
  • Dayan Frias
  • Andres Gimenez
  • Bo Naylor
  • Richie Palacios
  • Cal Quantrill
  • Cade Smith
  • Meibrys Viloria
  • Josh Wolf

Marlins

  • Sandy Alcantara
  • Luis Arraez
  • Johnny Cueto
  • Jesus Luzardo
  • Anthony Maldonado
  • Jean Segura

Mariners

  • Matt Brash
  • Diego Castillo
  • Matt Festa
  • Harry Ford
  • Teoscar Hernandez
  • Milkar Perez
  • Julio Rodriguez
  • Eugenio Suarez
  • Blake Townsend

Mets

  • Pete Alonso
  • Jonathan Arauz
  • Edwin Diaz
  • Eduardo Escobar
  • Dominic Hamel
  • Elieser Hernandez
  • Francisco Lindor
  • Jeff McNeil
  • Omar Narvaez
  • Cam Opp
  • Adam Ottavino
  • Jose Quintana
  • Brooks Raley
  • Claudio Scotti

Nationals

  • Alberto Baldonado
  • Paolo Espino
  • Lucius Fox
  • Alberto Guerrero
  • Joey Meneses
  • Erasmo Ramirez

Orioles

  • Daniel Federman
  • Darwinzon Hernandez
  • Dean Kremer
  • Cedric Mullins
  • Anthony Santander
  • Rodney Theophile

Padres

  • Xander Bogaerts
  • Nabil Crismatt
  • Nelson Cruz
  • Jarryd Dale
  • Yu Darvish
  • Jose Espada
  • Ruben Galindo
  • Luis Garcia
  • Ha-Seong Kim
  • Manny Machado
  • Nick Martinez
  • Evan Mendoza
  • Juan Soto
  • Brett Sullivan
  • Julio Teheran

Phillies

  • Jose Alvarado
  • Erubiel Armenta
  • Malik Binns
  • Jaydenn Estanista
  • Vito Friscia
  • Brian Marconi
  • J.T. Realmuto
  • Kyle Schwarber
  • Noah Skirrow
  • Gregory Soto
  • Garrett Stubbs
  • Ranger Suarez
  • Trea Turner
  • Taijuan Walker
  • Rixon Wingrove

Pirates

  • David Bednar
  • Tsung-Che Cheng
  • Roansy Contreras
  • Alessandro Ercolani
  • Santiago Florez
  • Jarlin Garcia
  • Antwone Kelly
  • Josh Palacios
  • Jeffrey Passantino
  • Tahnaj Thomas
  • Duane Underwood Jr.
  • Chavez Young
  • Rob Zastryzny

Rangers

  • Mitch Bratt
  • Jose Leclerc
  • Martin Perez

Rays

  • Jason Adam
  • Jonathan Aranda
  • Randy Arozarena
  • Christian Bethancourt
  • Trevor Brigden
  • Wander Franco
  • Andrew Gross
  • Joe LaSorsa
  • Francisco Mejia
  • Isaac Paredes
  • Harold Ramirez
  • Graham Spraker

Red Sox

  • Jorge Alfaro
  • Richard Bleier
  • Rafael Devers
  • Jarren Duran
  • Ian Gibaut
  • Rio Gomez
  • Norwith Gudino
  • Enrique Hernandez
  • Nick Pivetta
  • Henry Ramos
  • Alex Verdugo
  • Masataka Yoshida

Reds

  • Donovan Benoit
  • Silvino Bracho
  • Luis Cessa
  • Fernando Cruz
  • Alexis Diaz
  • Arij Fransen
  • Kyle Glogoski
  • Tayron Guerrero
  • Evan Kravetz
  • Nicolo Pinazzi
  • Reiver Sanmartin
  • Vin Timpanelli

Rockies

  • Daniel Bard
  • Jake Bird
  • Yonathan Daza
  • Elias Diaz
  • Kyle Freeland
  • Justin Lawrence
  • German Marquez
  • Michael Petersen
  • Alan Trejo

Royals

  • Max Castillo
  • Robbie Glendinning
  • Carlos Hernandez
  • Nicky Lopez
  • MJ Melendez
  • Vinnie Pasquantino
  • Salvador Perez
  • Brady Singer
  • Bobby Witt Jr.
  • Angel Zerpa

Tigers

  • Javier Baez
  • Miguel Cabrera
  • Chavez Fernander
  • Andy Ibanez
  • Jack O’Loughlin
  • Jacob Robson
  • Eduardo Rodriguez
  • Jonathan Schoop
  • John Valente

Twins

  • Jose De Leon
  • Edouard Julien
  • Jorge Lopez
  • Pablo Lopez
  • Carlos Luna
  • Jose Miranda
  • Jovani Moran
  • Emilio Pagan
  • Christian Vazquez

White Sox

  • Tim Anderson
  • Kendall Graveman
  • Eloy Jimenez
  • Lance Lynn
  • Yoan Moncada
  • Nicholas Padilla
  • Luis Robert
  • Jose Ruiz

Yankees

  • Indigo Diaz
  • Kyle Higashioka
  • Jonathan Loaisiga
  • Gleyber Torres
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Cubs Grant Pedro Strop His Release

By Steve Adams | May 5, 2021 at 2:19pm CDT

Right-hander Pedro Strop has asked his release from the Cubs, who have granted the request, tweets Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. He’s still in good standing with the organization, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers adds, indicating this was an amicable parting of ways. MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets that the team remains open to bringing Strop back in the future.

Strop was away from the Cubs on a leave of absence due to personal reasons. Details surrounding that absence were not revealed, and it’s not clear at this point whether he’ll pursue an opportunity with another club. He pitched two shutout innings for the Cubs in 2021, but as of this weekend, Strop had returned to his home in the Dominican Republic.

Set to turn 36 next month, Strop has spent parts of 13 years in the Majors — eight of them with the Cubs. He came to the organization alongside Jake Arrieta in the franchise-altering deal that sent Scott Feldman to the Oriole and went on to become one of the team’s most vital relivers, pitching to a sub-3.00 ERA in his first six seasons in Chicago. Strop has tallied 375 innings in relief for the Cubs over the years and logged a 2.88 ERA while more than 28 percent of his opponents. He’s also been nails in the playoffs, logging a career 1.86 ERA in 19 1/3 postseason frames.

All told, Strop carries a lifetime 3.20 ERA through 505 2/3 big league innings split between the Cubs, Orioles, Rangers and Reds. If he indeed decides to explore other opportunities, there will no doubt be interest in him given his lengthy track record.

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Chicago Cubs Transactions Pedro Strop

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Pedro Strop Takes Personal Leave From Cubs

By Mark Polishuk | May 2, 2021 at 9:52pm CDT

Right-hander Pedro Strop is back home in the Dominican Republic on a leave of absence for personal reasons, NBC Sports Chicago’s Gordon Wittenmyer reports.  These seem to be all the details known at this time, as the Cubs haven’t given an official comment on the situation.

A member of the Cubs from 2013-19, Strop returned to the club on a minor league deal last September, with an injury-riddled and brief (2 1/3 innings) stint with the Reds representing his only action in the 2020 season.  Strop signed a new minors contract with Chicago in February and then made it to the MLB roster for a pair of scoreless innings over two appearances in April.  He had been working at the Cubs’ alternate training site since April 17.

It isn’t clear when, or even if, Strop could return to action.  Wittenmyer notes that Strop wasn’t included on the Triple-A roster (or the rosters of any of the Cubs’ affiliates), which is notable since the minor league season begins this week.

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Cubs Reinstate Brandon Workman, Dan Winkler; Reassign Pedro Strop

By Connor Byrne | April 17, 2021 at 12:54pm CDT

April 17: Chicago announced they’re reinstating Workman and Winkler from the IL in advance of this afternoon’s game against the Braves. Steele has been optioned to the team’s alternate training site in South Bend, while Strop has been reassigned to the alternate site. Under the league’s 2021 health and safety protocols, Strop needs not be exposed to waivers to be removed from the 40-man roster as a COVID-19 replacement.

April 12: The Cubs have placed three members of their bullpen – right-handers Jason Adam, Brandon Workman and Dan Winkler – on the COVID-19 injured list, Robert Murray of FanSided was among those to report. The move came “out of abundance of caution” after bullpen coach Chris Young tested positive for COVID-19. To take the pitchers’ places, the Cubs recalled fellow hurlers Brad Wieck and Justin Steele, and they selected Pedro Strop’s contract, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com.

It’s unclear how much time Adam, Workman and Winkler will miss, but all three are quarantining away from the club, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. The Cubs have received a combined 11 1/3 innings from Adam, Workman and Winkler this season. Adam has been the most successful of the three, having given up one earned run and struck out seven hitters in 3 2/3 innings. Workman has surrendered three runs (two earned) over 3 2/3 frames, but he has totaled five strikeouts. Winkler has yielded one ER on two hits and struck out five across four innings, though he has succeeded despite walking a batter per nine.

The Cubs signed Strop to a minor league contract in the offseason, and the righty is now in line for his second MLB stint with the organization. Now 35 years old, Strop was highly effective for most of his prior Cubs tenure, which ran from 2013-19. He surpassed the 60-frame mark in three of those seasons and combined for 373 innings of 2.90 ERA ball. Strop temporarily left the Cubs to join the division-rival Reds in free agency entering the 2020 campaign, but he threw a mere 2 1/3 innings before Cincinnati designated him for assignment.

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Chicago Cubs Brandon Workman Coronavirus Dan Winkler Jason Adam Pedro Strop

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Cubs Re-Sign Cameron Maybin

By Mark Polishuk | March 28, 2021 at 12:04pm CDT

MARCH 28: Maybin has signed a new minor league deal with the Cubs and will report to their alternate training site.

MARCH 27: The Cubs have released outfielder Cameron Maybin, the team announced.  Three other players (Shelby Miller, Pedro Strop, Rafael Ortega) on minor league deals were assigned to the team’s minor league camp, as was right-hander Trevor Megill.

Maybin was first acquired by Chicago in a swap with the Tigers at last season’s trade deadline, and the veteran outfielder re-signed with the Cubs on a minors deal in February.  Maybin’s 14th Major League campaign saw him hit .247/.307/.387 over 101 total plate appearances with Detroit and Chicago, and he also spent two weeks on the injured list due to a quad strain.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Maybin signed a new deal with the Cubs and remained in the organization as depth, or if the release means that the two sides are truly parting ways if Maybin wants to find a clearer MLB opportunity elsewhere.  Jake Marisnick will handle fourth outfielder duties in Chicago, and the Cubs also have a couple of utilitymen in Eric Sogard and Ildemaro Vargas who can play the corner outfield in a pinch.  On the minor league front, the Cubs have Ortega, Michael Hermosillo, Ian Miller, and Nick Martini as outfield options with some big league experience.

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Chicago Cubs Transactions Cameron Maybin Pedro Strop Rafael Ortega Shelby Miller

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COVID Notes: 3/7/21

By Mark Polishuk | March 7, 2021 at 11:27am CDT

The latest on coronavirus-related situations around baseball…

Latest Updates

  • Right-hander Pedro Strop is being held out of the Cubs’ training camp due to COVID protocol violations, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports (Twitter link).  In regards to the earlier item about Franmil Reyes, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports that a now-deleted social media post revealed that Strop and Reyes were out together.  A fixture in the Cubs’ bullpen from 2013-19, Strop rejoined the team on a minor league deal last month after pitching for the Reds in 2020.

Earlier Today

  • Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes are both being held out of Indians training camp for breaking health and safety protocols, manager Terry Francona told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mandy Bell and the Akron Beacon Journal’s Ryan Lewis).  The players self-reported their violations, which included dining together at a restaurant and a haircut for Reyes on Friday.  Ramirez and Reyes will have to test negative for COVID-19 before returning to camp, with Francona saying that he hopes to know more specifics later today about possible return dates.
  • The Red Sox officially removed catcher Kevin Plawecki from the COVID-19 injured list and returned Plawecki to the 40-man roster.  A roster spot was created yesterday when the Blue Jays plucked reliever Joel Payamps away from the Sox on a waiver claim.  Plawecki already cleared health protocols and returned to training with the team over a week ago.
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Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Cleveland Guardians Notes Transactions Coronavirus Franmil Reyes Jose Ramirez Kevin Plawecki Pedro Strop

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Cubs To Sign Pedro Strop

By Steve Adams | February 17, 2021 at 9:58am CDT

The Cubs have another reunion in the works, agreeing to a minor league contract and Spring Training invite with free-agent righty Pedro Strop, as first reported by Mike Rodriguez (Twitter link). Strop, a client QC Sports, will earn $800K if he makes the big league club.

Strop, acquired alongside Jake Arrieta in one of the more lopsided deals in recent memory, was with the Cubs from 2013-19 before an extremely brief, 2 1/3-inning stint with the Reds in 2020. He and Arrieta, who reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Cubs last week, could now both be back at Wrigley Field for the 2021 campaign.

A groin injury limited Strop’s time with the Reds in 2020, but his results even when on the mound weren’t particularly encouraging. It was a small sample, of course, but Strop walked six of the 15 batters he faced and also threw a wild pitch, indicating that his control wasn’t anywhere near its usual levels. It’s likely that the groin injury contributed to those struggles, but the Reds didn’t give him much of a chance to right the ship; Strop was designated for assignment immediately upon coming off the IL. He returned to the Cubs on a minor league deal but didn’t get back to the Majors.

Now healthy, the 35-year-old Strop should have a decent chance of making the team. The Cubs’ bullpen is largely unsettled behind closer Craig Kimbrel — and even he has yet to ever truly find consistency in Chicago. The Cubs reportedly agreed to a deal with Brandon Workman earlier this morning, and they’ve also signed lefty Andrew Chafin to a big league deal. Beyond that, they’ll rely on a host of journeymen and/or prospects with limited MLB track records. Rowan Wick, Dan Winkler, Duane Underwood Jr., Jason Adam and Brad Wieck are among the team’s other options in the ’pen.

Certainly, given his track record, Strop could have an inside track on a bullpen spot. The righty’s original seven-year stint with the Cubs, after all, was an undeniable success. He racked up 373 innings out of the Chicago bullpen, pitching to a 2.90 ERA with 28 saves, 110 holds, a 28.1 percent strikeout rate and a 9.7 percent walk rate. He added in 17 innings of 2.12 ERA ball in the postseason, including a pair of scoreless frames in the 2016 World Series.

There’s surely some sentimental value in the signing for Cubs fans, but it’s hard to overlook the fact that the team is putting together a patchwork bullpen for the third straight offseason. The combined $3.75MM the Cubs have spent on Workman and Chafin is the only guaranteed money invested in the bullpen this winter, and the club hasn’t succeeded in developing a reliable in-house reliever in years. To their credit, the organization has still posted middle-of-the-pack results in terms of bullpen ERA despite the lack of homegrown arms or notable additions, but it’s also tough to cobble together an effective relief corps in this manner each offseason.

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Cubs To Sign Pedro Strop

By Connor Byrne | September 4, 2020 at 5:08pm CDT

Free-agent reliever Pedro Strop is returning to the Cubs, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. The right-hander will go to their alternate training site.

This will be the second stint on the North Side for the 35-year-old Strop, who was a valuable part of Chicago’s bullpen from 2013-19. He accumulated 373 innings of 2.90 ERA/3.19 FIP pitching with 10.25 K/9, 3.55 BB/9 and a 53.2 percent groundball rate during that span, though Strop’s effectiveness waned last year during his final season of team control. He was unable to secure a multiyear contract in free agency as a result, instead signing a one-year, $1.825MM with NL Central rival Cincinnati.

The Strop-Reds union didn’t go well for either party, as he battled groin issues and only threw 2 1/3 innings with the club before it designated him for assignment Aug. 26. While Strop allowed just one earned run (three total) as a Red, he issued a whopping six walks and saw his average fastball, formerly in the 95-96 range, drop below 92. He’ll now try to work his way back to the majors with the Cubs, who lead their division by 3 1/2 games despite having received uninspiring production from their bullpen. The Cubs have, however, worked to upgrade their relief corps in recent days, as they landed Josh Osich and the currently injured Andrew Chafin at the trade deadline before reuniting with Strop.

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Reds Designate Pedro Strop, Select Jose Garcia

By Connor Byrne | August 26, 2020 at 3:34pm CDT

The Reds announced that they’ve reinstated reliever Pedro Strop from the injured list and designated him for assignment. In other moves, the club selected infielder Jose Garcia and optioned outfielder Travis Jankowski to its alternate site.

If this is the end of the right-handed Strop’s run with the Reds, it’ll go down as short-lived and unmemorable. The former Ranger, Oriole and Cub signed with the Reds for a one-year, $1.825MM guarantee in the winter, but he threw a mere 2 1/3 innings of three-run ball (one earned) before landing on the IL earlier this month with a right groin strain. The 35-year-old Strop does bring a quality MLB track record to the table, though, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him end up with another team if he’s healthy.

The Reds aren’t wasting any time with Garcia, who will start at shortstop for the team Wednesday. It’s a big leap for the 22-year-old Garcia, who hasn’t yet played above High-A ball, where he slashed .280/.343/.436 with eight home runs and 15 stolen bases in 452 plate appearances last season. Garcia’s now the Reds’ seventh-ranked prospect at Baseball America, which writes that he has the potential “to jump to the top of Cincinnati’s system with continued performance.”

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Cincinnati Reds Transactions Jose Garcia Pedro Strop

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