astros right-hander Ryan Pressley According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, there is “huge buying” going on in the trade market this winter. This isn’t the first time this winter that there have been hints that Pressley could be traded, with a report last month suggesting that Houston had at least internally discussed trading the veteran right-hander, but it’s worth noting that the club appears to have already begun trading Rival club market to buy him in trade.
As the offseason began, general manager Dana Brown was candid about how his club’s budget looks tight this winter. While the club stressed its desire to remain competitive next year, Brown admitted the club may have to get “creative” in addressing holes in the roster. That’s a potentially ominous sign for a club with a longtime third baseman Alex Bregman Last month’s free-agent selection gave them holes at both corners of the infield, as well as room for improvement on the outfield green and in the starting rotation. RosterResource noted that the club projects a payroll of $215 million in 2025, which is just $20 million lower than its opening day payroll in 2024 and only $29 million lower than last year’s end-of-season payroll.
With the budget so tight, it’s easy to imagine 2024 being the end of Bregman’s tenure in Houston. However, that’s not something the Astros are willing to admit at the moment, as they’ve reportedly made an offer to Bregman since he hit free agency. The specifics of the offer weren’t entirely clear, but subsequent reports suggested there could be a gap between the two sides, as the Astros wanted to keep Bregman on a six-year, $156MM deal, while Bregman wanted a deal worth At least $200MM. Uncertainty surrounding Bregman leads Astros to consider potential backup options, including first baseman Christian Walker and infielder Jorge Polancobut it’s not hard to imagine an AAV commanded by Walker himself landing outside the Astros’ comfort zone.
Whether it’s to pursue Bregman more forcefully or to increase flexibility if he signs with another team, it would make sense for the Astros to consider trading Pressley this winter. The 36-year-old pitcher is set to make $14MM in the final year of his contract after a solid but unspectacular 2024 season, in which he ended up playing the tight end after being ousted from the closer position. The position pitched to a 3.49 ERA and 3.10 FIP. Josh Hader last winter. Pressley’s production remains solid, but his peripheral numbers have taken a step back, with his 23.8% strikeout rate being his lowest since 2016 and his 7.4% walk rate dating back to 2018’s 162-game season. the lowest level in.
While Pressley is clearly still a quality reliever, he’s unlikely to command a $14 AAV on the open market before his age-36 season this winter. The lack of clear trade value could make a move difficult for the Astros to get done, and any trade talks would be further complicated by the fact that Pressley, a player with ten years of service and five consecutive five-year tenures, has complete No transaction protection. This means that Pressley must approve a trade before he can be moved, and there is no guarantee that the Dallas native, who previously signed multiple contract extensions with the Astros, will be interested in leaving Houston.
Those hurdles are huge, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Pressley continue in an Astros uniform next year. However, they certainly do not necessarily mean that agreement is impossible. It’s at least feasible that Pressly could have interest in being traded to a club that would be willing to use him in the ninth-inning after he racked up 102 saves in 118 chances (86.4% conversion rate) across his four years in the role with HOUSTON. The Cubs, Red Sox and Phillies could all be looking for ninth-inning help this winter, and Nightengale said Philadelphia might be particularly interested in Pressley’s services.
Nightengale continues to speculate on Pressley, Phillies third baseman trade Alec Bohm It would make sense for both clubs if the Astros fail to sign Bregman, but it’s worth noting that Boehm is considered more valuable than Pressley on the trade market, so directly A one-to-one exchange seems unlikely. Meanwhile, Chicago is known to be interested in making a trade Cody Bellinger Houston has reportedly checked out Bellinger this winter. That makes a swap involving Bellinger and Pressley at least theoretically a fit between the parties, though it’s unclear whether discussions between the Cubs and Astros about Bellinger involve other names, especially Presley.
