CHICAGO -- The Cubs exercised the $6.25 million club option on Pedro Strop, keeping a key member of the bullpen.
Strop, 33, who stepped in to close when Brandon Morrow was injured, went 6-1 with nine holds, 13 saves and a 2.26 ERA in 60 relief outings last season, his sixth with the Cubs since he was acquired from the Orioles in July 2013. The right-hander is the franchise's all-time leader with 114 holds, and his 2.63 ERA ranks second among Cubs relievers all time (minimum 100 games), trailing only Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter (2.39).
In each of his past six seasons, Strop has posted a sub-3.00 ERA.
Strop made a miraculous recovery at the end of the season after injuring his left hamstring on Sept. 13 and was included on the Cubs' roster for the National League Wild Card Game. Strop struck out two over one inning in the Cubs' loss to the Rockies.
"He did a great job on the big stage last year," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said.
The Cubs still have one more decision to make regarding player options and that involves starter Cole Hamels, who has a $20 million option for 2019. The deadline for a decision on Hamels is the end of the day on Friday.