It was reported a few weeks ago that the Houston Astros were looking to move Ryan Pressly, a two-time All-Star reliever.
Pressly, 36 years old, posted a 3.49 ERA and struck out 58 hitters in 56 2/3 innings for the Astros a season ago. He’s still a decent arm at this stage of his career, but for a Houston team “wary of exceeding the luxury tax,” according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Pressly could be dealt.
According to Rome, even after the Kyle Tucker trade, the Astros are looking to move Pressly due to the dead money the ball club has to eat in 2025.
“That Houston has already traded Kyle Tucker and is extensively shopping Pressly is evidence enough that the club is trying to control a payroll bloated by $31 million in dead money owed to Rafael Montero and José Abreu. Whether that prevents the Astros from making any more meaningful improvements is a mystery.”
Rome later added that it’s “difficult” to say Pressly will be moved this winter. The right-hander has a no-trade clause and, at the end of the day, doesn’t have to accept a trade.
His wife is from Houston, and both of his children were born in the city. That’s without factoring in that Pressly has been with the organization since 2018 and was born in Dallas.
If there’s one reason to be hopeful about Pressly accepting a trade, it’s that he could be a closer for a different team. With the Astros, he’s a setup man.
According to Rome, approximations suggest Houston is “either right at or a smidge over the first” tax threshold of $241 million.
That won’t be confirmed until Thursday’s deadline to exchange salary figures with the Astros’ eight arbitration-eligible players, but it’s something the front office is clearly thinking about.
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