Astros trade Ryan Pressly after frustrating delay to keep Alex Bregman dream alive

ByTanner Vogt|
Kansas City Royals v Houston Astros
Kansas City Royals v Houston Astros | Kevin M. Cox/GettyImages

Well, Ryan Pressly’s time in Houston has finally come to an end. It’s been a frustrating few days for Astros fans, but the result is bittersweet. 

Rumors started swirling that Houston had re-engaged in contract discussions with franchise icon, Alex Bregman. This prompted Dana Brown and the Astros to speed up the Pressly trade talks. Pressly, a valuable reliever in Houston’s bullpen is due $14 million this year and clearing his salary just might be the move need to bring Bregman back. 

Ryan Pressly waives no-trade clause, hopefully leading to an Alex Bregman signing 

We learned that the Cubs were interested in acquiring Pressly, yet there was a pretty big hurdle to clear before a trade could work. Due to Pressly’s time with Houston and 10+ years in baseball, he has earned a full no-trade clause. This posed some issues as Pressly’s family and kids have been in Houston for some time now. Ultimately, the 12-year veteran decided to waive his no-trade clause, agreeing to take on the Cubs closer role. 

You can tell how hard this decision was for Pressly’s and his wife after her post on X (formerly Twitter).  

In return for the Astros All-Star reliever, Houston received Cubs pitching prospect, Juan Bello. A 20-year-old from Columbia, Bello had a productive year at Single-A Myrtle Beach. He threw 89.2 inning, with a 3.21 ERA and a solid ability to dominate the zone (9.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9). This is a lottery ticket type move to free some money up in hopes of signing Bregman. 

Ultimately this is a tough one to process for Astros fans. Pressly has been a part of a dominant run by the Astros, but his departure could be met with the reunion of an all-time great in Alex Bregman. 

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