PTBNL Watch: Pedro Strop to Baltimore for Mike Gonzalez
The Texas Rangers acquired LHP Mike Gonzalez for their bullpen today in exchange for a player to be named later from the Baltimore Orioles. Fast forward to the afternoon, RHP Pedro Strop is headed to Baltimore as the PTBNL. Gonzalez will be a free agent at the end of the season.
Pedro Strop (To Baltimore Orioles): The 26-year-old righty comes to Baltimore after spending this season split between the big league club and AAA. Colorado signed Strop in 2002 out of the Dominican Republic as an amateur free agent, and he came to the Rangers as a free agent in 2008. Pitching out of the Rangers bullpen this year, Strop complied a tidy 3.71 ERA in 11 appearances, but with 7 BB against 9 K. In parts of three seasons at the major league level he’s put up a 7.24 ERA with a 29/22 K/BB ratio in 27.1 innings. Otherwise, he’s spent the rest of his time the past three years in the bullpen for the Rangers AAA team. This year for the Round Rock Express he has a 3.59 ERA over 39 appearances (29 games finished with 11 saves), striking out 55 and walking 24. Strop throws his fastball in the 94-95 MPH range consistently, but as evidenced by his numbers with the big league club he struggles mightily with control. Unless he can cut down drastically on the walks, he doesn’t appear to be much more than a fringe bullpen pitcher at best.
Sources: MLB Trade Rumors and Baseball-Reference.com
[...] nearly a batter per IP. The likelihood of Perez getting the call seems less likely as the Rangers traded for left-handed reliever, Mike Gonzalez. The impression Perez left in AAA may be too much to overcome as the stretch run begins, but his [...]