Chicago Cubs Trade Scott Feldman to Baltimore Orioles for Jake Arrietta, Pedro Strop
By Bryan Rose
It appears the Baltimore Orioles wanted to beat any potential teams looking to acquire starting pitching to the punch as they picked up Scott Feldman from the Chicago Cubs this afternoon.
The trade, first reported by ESPN’s Keith Law is as followed:
"Scott Feldman and catcher Steve Clevenger from the Cubs in exchange for pitchers Jake Arrietta and Pedro Strop and international draft slots"
Feldman has been having a solid season for the Cubbies, posting a 3.46 ERA and 67/25 K/BB ratio over 91 innings this season but was scheduled to become a free agent at season end. The Cubs weren’t expected to retain Feldman, so they attempted to get some pieces while they could.
As for those pieces, Arrietta was a one time promising starting pitcher who hasn’t exactly put it together in the Majors. Still, at just 27, a move to the National League could be just what he needed to get his career back on track. Strop on the other hand is a 28 year old reliever who appeared in 70 games for the O’s last year and posted a 2.44 ERA in the process. It’s been a bit of a rough go for him this year, but it’s a pretty solid trade for both sides as the Cubs pick up some younger talent with promise while the O’s solidify their starting rotation for a playoff run.