nThe Houston Astros have officially announced the trade of veteran reliever Juan Bello. The Astros are also sending $5.5 million to the Cubs to help cover a portion of Pressly’s $14 million salary for the 2025 season.
In return for agreeing to the deal, Pressly will receive a new no-trade clause and an assignment bonus to offset the tax implications of relocating from Texas to Illinois. The trade is pending the completion of standard medical reviews.
pressly’s departure has been anticipated since August,when he triggered the vesting option in his contract by making 124 appearances over the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Originally signed to a two-year, $30 million extension, Pressly’s performance earned him a third year and an additional $14 million. Despite his consistent contributions, the Astros’ limited payroll space made his $14 million salary for the 2025 season a financial burden.
This trade follows another major move between the Astros and Cubs earlier this offseason, when medium=linker&utmsource=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utmcampaign=2025-01-26br”>Isaac Paredes,medium=linker&utmsource=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utmcampaign=2025-01-26br”>Cam Smith. Like Pressly, Tucker is under contract thru the 2025 season, with a $16.5 million salary in his final year of arbitration eligibility.
Below is a summary of the key details of the Ryan pressly trade:
| Aspect | Details |
|————————–|—————————————————————————–|
| Teams Involved | Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs |
| Player Traded | Ryan Pressly |
| Acquired Player | Juan Bello |
| Financial Terms | Astros send $5.5 million to Cubs to cover part of Pressly’s $14M salary |
| Additional Benefits | Pressly receives new no-trade clause and assignment bonus |
| Trade Status | Pending medical reviews |
This trade underscores the Astros’ focus on managing their payroll while acquiring young talent. For the Cubs, Pressly’s addition bolsters their bullpen as they aim to compete in the 2025 season. Stay tuned for updates as the trade progresses.Astros Clear payroll, Fuel Speculation of Alex Bregman Reunion
The Houston Astros have made significant moves this offseason, clearing payroll and sparking rumors of a potential reunion with star third baseman Alex Bregman. After trading Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly, the Astros have already reinvested some of the savings by signing Christian Walker to a three-year, $60 million deal. This strategic financial maneuvering has opened the door for speculation that Bregman could return to Houston.
According to RosterResource, the Astros’ 2025 payroll is estimated at $217.6 million, with a luxury tax number of $236.3 million. This marks a notable drop from their 2024 payroll of $244 million and luxury tax figure of $262 million,bringing the team just under the tax threshold by less than $5 million. Owner Jim Crane has indicated that the Astros are willing to spend at 2024 levels under the right circumstances, making a Bregman reunion a plausible scenario.
The Astros’ recent trades have not only freed up financial resources but also signaled a willingness to reshape the roster. The deal involving Ryan Pressly, wich was reportedly “on the verge” of being finalized with the Chicago Cubs, faced late hurdles due to interest from the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays. Pressly’s no-trade protection ultimately gave him the final say, adding another layer of complexity to the negotiations.
Key Financial Moves and Their Implications
Table of Contents
| Move | Details | Impact |
|————————-|————————————————–|———————————————|
| Kyle Tucker Trade | Cleared significant payroll space | Freed up resources for future signings |
| Ryan Pressly Trade | Negotiations with Cubs, Tigers, and Blue Jays | Further reduced payroll obligations |
| Christian Walker | Signed to a 3-year, $60 million deal | Reinforced roster while maintaining versatility |
The Astros’ ability to stay under the luxury tax threshold while still making impactful signings demonstrates a calculated approach to roster construction. With bregman’s free agency looming, Houston’s financial flexibility could play a pivotal role in bringing the two-time All-star back to Minute Maid Park.
As the offseason progresses, all eyes will be on the astros’ front office to see if they can turn speculation into reality. Will Bregman don the Astros uniform once again? Only time will tell, but the groundwork has certainly been laid.
For more updates on the Astros’ offseason moves,stay tuned to MLB Trade Rumors and follow the latest developments in Houston’s quest to remain a contender in the American League.
Ryan Pressly Joins the Cubs: A New Era for Chicago’s Bullpen
The Chicago Cubs have made a significant addition to their bullpen, acquiring veteran reliever Ryan Pressly from the Houston Astros. The move, which was finalized after Pressly approved the trade, marks a pivotal moment for the Cubs as they aim to strengthen their relief corps for the upcoming season.Pressly, who chose Chicago over Detroit, brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success. Over his tenure with the Astros, he posted a stellar 2.81 ERA with a 30.9% strikeout rate and a 6.16% walk rate across 333 innings. His postseason performance was equally extraordinary, with a 2.78 ERA in 45 1/3 innings, playing a crucial role in Houston’s playoff runs.
Initially a setup man, Pressly transitioned to the closer role in 2020 and excelled, earning a reputation as one of the most reliable relievers in baseball. However, the Astros’ signing of Josh Hader last winter pushed Pressly back into a setup role. Now, with the Cubs, he is expected to reclaim the closer position, a key assurance that reportedly influenced his decision to approve the trade.
A shift in the Cubs’ Bullpen Dynamics
The addition of Pressly has immediate implications for the Cubs’ bullpen hierarchy. Rookie Porter Hodge, who stepped into the closer role last year and performed admirably, is now likely to shift to high-leverage setup duties. While Hodge is still viewed as the closer of the future, Pressly’s experience and consistency provide the Cubs with a reliable ninth-inning option in the short term.
Pressly’s arrival also strengthens the entire relief corps, effectively bumping everyone down a spot on the depth chart. This depth is crucial for the Cubs, who struggled with bullpen injuries late last season.
Offseason Moves Reflect Strategic Approach
Pressly is the most prominent of several offseason additions to the Cubs’ bullpen.The team has also brought in Eli Morgan and Caleb Thielbar, further bolstering their relief options. These acquisitions reflect President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer’s strategy of addressing needs without over-investing in the relief market.
Despite this cautious approach, the Cubs were reportedly in the mix for high-profile relievers like Carlos Estévez and Tanner Scott, finishing as runners-up in those pursuits.
What This Means for the Cubs
The addition of Pressly not only solidifies the back end of the bullpen but also provides leadership and postseason experience.His presence allows younger pitchers like Hodge to develop without the immediate pressure of closing games.
Here’s a quick summary of the key points:
| Key Aspect | Details |
|——————————-|—————————————————————————–|
| Ryan Pressly’s Role | Expected to serve as the Cubs’ primary closer. |
| Porter Hodge’s role | Shifts to high-leverage setup duties, remains the closer of the future. |
| Other Additions | Eli Morgan and Caleb Thielbar join the bullpen. |
| Impact | Strengthens bullpen depth and provides postseason experience. |
The cubs’ bullpen, once a question mark, now looks poised to be a strength in 2025. With Pressly leading the way, Chicago’s relief corps is ready to take on the challenges of a competitive NL Central.
Stay tuned for more updates as the Cubs continue to shape their roster for the upcoming season.nAct as an expert news reporters or journalists and create deeply engaging, well-researched, plagiarism-free news article BASED ONLY AND EXCLUSEVELY ON INFORMATION FROM THE ARTICLE BELOW, utilizing web search for relevant information and hyperlinking all external references directly to the contextual keywords within the blog body (NOT IN footnotes or a separate references section), including all provided quotes verbatim in quotation marks and attributing them naturally, seamlessly incorporating all multimedia elements from the original source, maintaining a sophisticated yet conversational tone with varied sentence lengths, integrating primary and secondary keywords organically, embedding relevant internal and external links, adding one table to summarize key points, strategically placing calls to action, fostering user engagement through fresh insights and meaningful analysis, and returning only the requested content without any additional commentary or text. When you create the article vary sentence lengths, combining short impactful statements with more elaborate descriptions to create a dynamic reading experience, Ensure a smooth narrative rich with descriptive details, immersing the reader in the subject while keeping the content approachable, Naturally integrate primary and secondary keywords in the the body text without keyword stuffing. Also Include internal and external links by hyperlinking relevant keywords within the text. All backlinks must be hyperlinked directly in the body of the blog, not in footnotes or a separate references section.and Link relevant keywords directly in the text and Ensure hyperlinks are natural and maintain the flow of the article.
do not place the sources at the end of the blog. YOU MUST HYPERLINK TO THE CONTEXTUAL WORD THROUGH OUT THE BLOG.
Include one table in the blog post to summarize key information or comparisons, helping break up the text and present data in a digestible format and Vary Sentence Length: Mix short and long sentences to create a more natural flow and Be mindful of overusing certain terms or phrases, as this can signal AI authorship.
Do not place the sources at the end of the blog. YOU MUST HYPERLINK TO THE CONTEXTUAL WORD THROUGH OUT THE BLOG. Return only the content requested, without any additional comments or text.
The created article should be BASED ONLY AND EXCLUSEVELY ON INFORMATION FROM THE ARTICLE BELOW :nn:rnrn ://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/scottta01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-01-26_br” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener”>Tanner Scott, but with Scott off the board, Chicago pivoted away from another long-term options like Carlos Estevez to instead take on Pressly, who is a free agent next winter. Some more moves might be coming,as The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, Patrick Mooney, and Sahadev Sharma report that the Cubs remain interested in adding to their relief corps even after acquiring Pressly.
The bottom-line results were still solid for Pressly in 2024, though there were some red flags in age-35 campaign. Pressly’s strikeout, walk, and whiff rates were only slightly above league average, representing significant dropoff from his numbers in both categories just a season ago. On the plus side, Pressly continued to generate grounders at a strong 48.8% rate, and his ability to keep the ball on the ground has long helped the right-hander counter-act his penchant for allowing hard contact. Pressly also again was the among the league leaders in curveball and fastball spin rates, continuing his career-long run of elite spin.
As for Houston’s bullpen, the Astros figure to be on the lookout for some bullpen help to fill the void left behind from Pressly’s departure. Depending again on how much GM Dana Brown has available to spend, the team could pursue some lower-cost arms, or perhaps make more of a bigger strike if Bregman indeed goes elsewhere and the Astros won’t be adding another major long-term salary. Bryan Abreu,
According to Baseball America’s scouting report, Bello boasts a four-pitch arsenal and has shown an increased ability to generate strikeouts with multiple offerings.“He fits the Astros’ organizational beliefs of developing pitchers with three or more secondaries to play off of their fastball,” the report states. This aligns with Houston’s strategy of building a deep and versatile pitching staff.
The financial details of the trade were also revealed. ESPN’s Jeff Passan noted that the astros would be covering some of Pressly’s salary, with USA Today’s Bob Nightengale specifying the amount at $5.5 million. Additionally, The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported that Pressly’s new contract includes no-trade protection and an assignment bonus, adding another layer of complexity to the deal.
Key Details of the Trade
| Aspect | Details |
|————————–|—————————————————————————–|
| Teams involved | Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs |
| Players Traded | Ryan Pressly (to Cubs), Bello (to Astros) |
| Financials | Astros cover $5.5 million of Pressly’s salary |
| Prospect Details | Bello: 20-year-old pitcher with a four-pitch arsenal |
| Additional Terms | Pressly gains no-trade protection and an assignment bonus |
This trade marks a strategic shift for both teams. The Astros are investing in the future by acquiring a young arm with high potential, while the Cubs bolster their bullpen with an experienced reliever in Pressly. The move also highlights Houston’s commitment to developing pitchers who can dominate with a diverse set of pitches.
As the MLB season progresses, this trade could have significant implications for both teams’ playoff aspirations. For now, fans will be watching closely to see how Bello develops under the Astros’ system and how Pressly contributes to the Cubs’ push for postseason success.
Interview: Breaking Down the Ryan Pressly Trade
Editor: The Houston Astros recently traded Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs. Can you break down the key details of this deal?
Guest: absolutely. The Astros sent veteran reliever Ryan Pressly to the Cubs in exchange for a 20-year-old pitching prospect, Bello. According to Baseball America,Bello has a four-pitch arsenal and has shown promise in generating strikeouts. Houston is covering $5.5 million of Pressly’s salary, and the deal also includes no-trade protection and an assignment bonus for Pressly.
Editor: What does this trade mean for the Astros’ bullpen strategy?
Guest: with Pressly’s departure, the Astros are likely looking to fill the void in their bullpen. As reported by The Athletic, they could pursue lower-cost arms or make a larger move depending on their financial flexibility. Acquiring Bello aligns with Houston’s focus on developing pitchers with multiple secondary pitches, which has been a cornerstone of their success.
Editor: How does Pressly fit into the Cubs’ plans?
Guest: The Cubs were reportedly interested in other relievers like Tanner Scott and Carlos Estevez but pivoted to Pressly after those options fell through. Despite some concerns about his performance in 2024, Pressly’s ability to generate ground balls and his elite spin rates on his curveball and fastball make him a valuable addition to Chicago’s bullpen.
Editor: What are the expectations for Bello in the Astros’ system?
Guest: Bello is a young, high-potential arm with a diverse pitch mix. The Astros’ pitching growth program is known for refining such talents, and Bello’s acquisition fits their long-term strategy. If he continues to develop his secondary pitches and increase his strikeout rates, he could become a key contributor to Houston’s rotation or bullpen in the future.
Editor: How might this trade impact both teams’ playoff chances?
guest: For the Cubs, Pressly provides immediate bullpen depth as they aim to make a postseason push. For the Astros, this trade is more about the future. While they’ll miss Pressly’s experiance, they’re betting on Bello’s potential to pay dividends down the line. Both teams are positioning themselves strategically, but the immediate impact favors Chicago.
Conclusion
This trade highlights the differing priorities of the Astros and Cubs. Houston is investing in future talent,while Chicago is fortifying their bullpen for a postseason run.It’ll be captivating to see how both Ryan Pressly and Bello perform in their new roles as the season unfolds.