CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs are finalizing a trade for Ryan Pressly, adding the right-hander to the back of their bullpen in their second major deal of the season with the Houston Astros.
Pressly has agreed to waive his no-trade clause, according to a person familiar with the situation, and there is an agreement in place between the teams, pending a review of medical records. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been finalized.
Presly had the right to block the deal because of his 12 years in the majors and six-plus seasons with the Astros. He had a 3.49 ERA in 59 appearances last year while being a setup man for Josh Hader.
The Cubs also acquired All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a multiplayer trade with the Astros in December.
Chicago has been looking for bullpen help since going 83-79 and finishing second in the NL Central in 2024 for the second straight season. He would be in Tanner Scott’s mix before joining the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Porter Hodge had a 1.88 ERA and nine saves during an impressive rookie year with Chicago, but he likely slides into a setup role with the arrival of Pressly.
Pressly is set to make $14 million in the final year of her contract, and Houston could use the money it saved in the trade to improve its outfield. He could also make a renewed push for a reunion with free agent third baseman Alex Bregman.
Hader replaced Houston’s tight end after agreeing to a five-year, $95 million contract last January. He had a 3.80 ERA and 34 saves in 71 games as the Astros won the Al West for the seventh time in the last eight seasons.
With a rush release, Bryan Abreu and Tayler Scott could each play a larger role ahead of Hader in the Houston bullpen.
Pressly, a 36-year-old Dallas native, made his big league debut with Minnesota in 2013 and spent his first five-plus seasons with the Twins. He was traded to Houston in July 2018.
Almost rose to prominence with the Astros, becoming one of the best relievers in baseball. The two-time All-Star had a streak of 40 consecutive games without allowing a run from August 15, 2018 to May 23, 2019.
He was a key performer when Houston won the franchise’s second World Series title in 2022. He had 33 career saves with a 2.98 ERA during the regular season, then went on a dominant run in the postseason. He saved six games in the postseason, striking out 13 while allowing one unearned run and four hits in 11 innings in 10 appearances.
Pressly is 35-36 with a 3.27 ERA and 112 saves in 623 major league games. He also has 693 strikeouts and 190 walks in 650 innings.