Astros reliever Ryan Pressly waives no-trade clause to go to Cubs
The Cubs aren’t merely seeking volume as they address their bullpen in the final weeks before spring training. That was clear as they neared the finish line on their latest trade with the Astros.
Veteran high-leverage reliever Ryan Pressly has agreed to waive his no-trade clause to pave the way for a deal that would bring him to the Cubs, a source confirmed Sunday.
When the trade is finalized — a process that includes physicals for any players involved — Pressly, 36, will add experience to the back end of the Cubs’ bullpen. The full terms of the deal were not immediately clear.
Pressly, a two-time All-Star, has accumulated 112 saves in his career and served as the Astros’ closer in 2020-23. His résumé features a 2.78 ERA in 47 playoff appearances, and he got the final out of the 2022 World Series.
When the Astros signed closer Josh Hader to a five-year, $95 million contract last offseason, Pressly moved to a setup role. He posted a 3.49 ERA, despite a dip in his fastball velocity. He also employs a slider and curveball and uses his changeup and sinker sparingly.
Pressly will be entering the last year of his contract. His $14 million option vested because he surpassed a combined 110 appearances in 2023 and 2024 combined.
‘‘Closing experience means you’re a good pitcher,’’ manager Craig Counsell said last weekend at the Cubs Convention. ‘‘It means you’ve earned that.’’
Pressly is a strong candidate to be the Cubs’ closer this season, but he’ll have to compete for the role. A source threw cold water on rumors that suggested Pressly only would approve the trade if he was guaranteed to be the closer, saying no such promises were made.
The Cubs still could add another reliever with experience in high-leverage situations. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has bemoaned the insufficient depth the Cubs had in that area after a spike in injuries early last season. He vowed not to make the same mistake again.
‘‘In general, we’re involved in a lot of different relievers,’’ Hoyer said at the convention. ‘‘A lot of lines in the water.’’
Naming a closer before spring training begins also would go against Counsell’s philosophy. He often emphasized last season, his first with the Cubs, that getting all 27 outs is more important than having a strict order out of the bullpen. But Counsell did manage elite closers with the Brewers in Hader and Devin Williams. He acknowledged just how stabilizing dependable back-end relievers can be for a team.
‘‘You want players back there that, when you’ve worked toward a win and you’ve got three outs to go, you feel really good about getting it,’’ he said last weekend. ‘‘I would put it to the last three innings of the game.’’
Of the Cubs’ returning relievers, 23-year-old Porter Hodge had the most saves last season. The bullpen was short-handed when he debuted in May, so Hodge was thrown into pressure situations right away. And he thrived.
Other late-inning options include Tyson Miller and Nate Pearson, both of whom took well to a change of scenery when the Cubs acquired them at midseason. Julian Merryweather is a bounce-back candidate after injuries limited him in 2024.
Among the Cubs’ offseason additions are Eli Morgan, who had a 1.93 ERA as a member of the Guardians’ bullpen in 2024, and Caleb Thielbar, who has experience as a setup man for the Twins.