The Chicago Cubs officially have a new closer as their trade for veteran reliever Ryan Pressly has been finalized. The team announced the deal on Tuesday.
Pressly, 36, is in the final year of his current contract and is set to earn $14 million for the 2025 season. The Houston Astros were desperate to shed payroll this winter and for the second time in less than two months the former division rivals linked up on a trade. The Cubs have sent 20-year-old pitching prospect Juan Bello to the Astros, who in turn will pitch in $5.5 million as part of the trade.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Cubs have designated right-handed pitcher Matt Festa for assignment. The Cubs acquired Festa in a trade with the Texas Rangers earlier in January.
The #Cubs today acquired RHP Ryan Pressly from the Astros for RHP Juan Bello. To make room on the 40-man roster, RHP Matt Festa has been designated for assignment.
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) January 28, 2025
Welcome to Chicago, Ryan! pic.twitter.com/58FSMz5yCe
While the Chicago Sun-Times has denied the rumor that Pressly is being guaranteed the closer job this season, it's a safe assumption to make at this point that he'll be the favorite for the role once the dust settles in spring training. Pressly waived his no-trade clause to accept the Cubs as his new team. He reportedly blocked a deal that would have landed him with the Detroit Tigers. Pressly had been with the Astros since the 2018 season, when he was traded from the Minnesota Twins to Houston.
Prior to the 2024 season, Pressly was the closer from 2020-23 with the Astros. He converted 86% of save opportunities, 102 out of 118 chances in the regular season and Pressly was even better in October for Houston. In four combined postseason runs, Pressly recorded a 0.79 ERA in 34 innings in the playoffs, going a perfect 14-for-14 in save chances.
Will Pressly get back to that level following his substandard 2024 season? The Cubs are obviously hoping that's the case, bringing in an established veteran to the bullpen that was problematic in high-leverage situations during the first few months of the previous two seasons.
Jed Hoyer may not be done adding to the bullpen as the Cubs reportedly remain in active talks with a few free agent relievers. The team has also been rumored to be in trade talks with the San Diego Padres, involving right-handed reliever Robert Suarez.
