I’ll be the first to admit that I wanted the Giants to move Strickland this past offseason. I’m not a fan of him and his shenanigans.
But, sometimes in sports you have to ‘deal’ with a person you may not like because they are good (see Yasiel Puig).
Despite how you feel about Strickland, the fact is he’s become a great relief pitcher, and possibly the best the Giants have. He’s thrown at least 51.1 innings the last three years with an ERA of 3.10 or better.
After developing a devastating slider this past offseason with help from John Smoltz, he now has a two plus pitches making him a prime candidate to be a full-time closer.