Breaking: Cubs & Astros Complete Trade for 2-Time All-Star

It was a tough decision to make for a closer who spent three seasons racking up 90 saves, before being relegated to the role of set-up man last year. But Houston Astros reliever Ryan Pressly has decided to waive his no-trade clause and head to the Chicago Cubs to return to the closer's role.

The Chicago Cubs are finalizing a trade to acquire closer Ryan Pressly from the Houston Astros, pending medical review, sources tell ESPN. Pressly will waive his no-trade clause to Chicago to facilitate the move, and Houston will send money to help cover his $14 million salary.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 26, 2025

An unnamed pitching prospect will be heading to Houston in return.

According to insider Jeff Passon, the Astros will cover some of Pressly's $14 million price tag as part of the deal. Pressly will get a new full no-trade clause as a result of the trade, per Jon Heyman, and he'll also get an "assignment bonus" to help alleviate the tax hit he'll take going from Texas to Illinois.

The trade, more importantly, presumably clears a path for longtime Astros star third baseman Alex Bregman to return to Houston. The Stros had struggled to find the money to meet Bregman's free agent demands, but alleviating themselves of much of Pressly's salary was said to be a precursor to them being able to afford a new Bregman deal.

Yesterday, Astros GM Dana Brown expressed surprise that Bregman was still available, and the team worked overtime to move out some money to try and get him to return. We'll see if this does the trick.

Insider Ken Rosenthal said this weekend of Bregman's landing spot, "if I had to bet right now, I'd bet the Astros."

Pressly's performance dipped last season in the set-up role, as he allowed batters to hit an eight-year high .264 off him, and his WHIP soared from 1.07 in 2023 to 1.34.