Pressly joins Kyle Tucker in Chicago. Photo by David Berding/Getty Images.
The Chicago Cubs are finalizing a trade for Ryan Pressly, adding the right-hander to the back end of their bullpen in their second major offseason deal 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 to the AP on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been finalized.
Pressly 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 serving as 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 had been searching for bullpen help since it went 83-79 and finished second in the NL Central in 2024 for the second straight season. It was reportedly in the mix for Tanner Scott before he joined 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 Pressly's arrival.
Pressly is slated to make $14 million in the last year of his contract, and Houston could use the money it saved in the trade to upgrade its outfield. It also could make a renewed push for a reunion with free agent third baseman Alex Bregman.
Hader replaced Pressly as Houston's closer after he agreed to a $95 million, five-year 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 Pressly on his way out, Bryan Abreu and Tayler Scott each could take on a more prominent role in front of Hader in Houston's 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.
Pressly rose to prominence with the Astros, becoming one of baseball's best relievers. The two-time All-Star had a streak of 40 consecutive games without allowing a run from Aug. 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 a career-high 33 saves with a 2.98 ERA during the regular season, and then went on a dominant run in the playoffs. He saved six postseason games, striking out 13 while allowing an unearned run and four hits in 11 innings over 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.
The Chicago Cubs will pay $8.5 million of Ryan Pressly’s
$14 million contract and give up Class A pitcher Juan Bello
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 27, 2025
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Amen Thompson had his second career triple-double, Alperin Sengun and Jalen Green scored 26 points apiece and the Houston Rockets beat the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers 135-131 on Saturday night.
Thompson finished with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and Fred VanVleet had 20 points and six assists for Houston. The Rockets beat Cleveland for the second time in four days, winning 109-108 at home Wednesday.
Darius Garland scored 27 of his 39 points in the second half for the Cavaliers. They have lost a season-high three in a row and dropped a half-game behind Oklahoma City for the NBA lead. Donovan Mitchell had 25 of his 33 points in the second half.
Cleveland also lost consecutive home games for the first time, but is a league-best 21-3 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Takeaways
Rockets: Centers Sengun and Steven Adams dominated counterparts Jarrett Allen and Tristan Thompson, combining for 40 points and 12 rebounds.
Cavaliers: Power forward Evan Mobley returned after missing four games with a right calf strain, but was ineffective throughout. He had seven points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots in 29 minutes.
Key moment
After Garland made two free throws to even the score with 1:51 remaining, Houston answered with a 10-2 run to seize a 134-126 lead, fueled by five points from Thompson. Mitchell missed a wide-open, potential tying 3-pointer with 27 seconds left.
Key stat
Mitchell made his first three shots and had Cleveland’s first eight points, then missed 10 straight field goal attempts. The All-Star starter didn’t score again until the third quarter, winding up 11 of 27 from the field and 4 of 11 on 3-pointers.
Up next
Both teams are back in action Monday night. The Rockets are at Boston, and the Cavaliers host Detroit.