By Chandler Rome, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney
Ryan Pressly, an All-Star reliever with impressive postseason credentials, has not yet approved or rejected a potential trade from the Houston Astros to the Chicago Cubs, a league source told The Athletic on Friday. Pressly is deliberating on a fresh start versus staying where his family considers home.
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At the same time, the Cubs and Astros are also engaged with free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, according to sources briefed on those discussions, though it’s unclear where those teams exactly stand.
The Astros re-engaged with Bregman in recent days, multiple league sources told The Athletic, joining the Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays as potential suitors for his services.
While the Cubs are trying to be opportunistic and get creative on a Bregman deal, sources indicated their current budget for baseball operations does not leave much room for the All-Star third baseman. Like the Astros, the Cubs have an ownership group that is reluctant to go over the $241 million luxury-tax threshold.
The Tigers are also involved in trade discussions for Pressly, a league source said, but it may be unlikely for Pressly to accept a deal there. According to one league source, the Astros are “doing whatever they can” to trade Pressly.
Houston’s primary return in the Pressly trade would be salary relief and some flexibility for other acquisitions. Pressly is guaranteed $14 million this season, a conspicuous number for the Astros, given the presence of All-Star closer Josh Hader.
Last season, Pressly struggled to adapt to a setup role behind Hader and, ostensibly, would prefer to close games. The Cubs could provide him that chance. That said, Pressly is fond of his time in Houston and mindful of the legacy he’s created across the Astros’ golden era, during which he’s transformed into one of the franchise’s most clutch postseason performers. Whether he wants to move on from that is a legitimate question.
With each franchise at a crossroads, the Cubs and Astros have already matched up for a blockbuster trade this offseason. To get Kyle Tucker’s final season before the All-Star outfielder reaches free agency, the Cubs packaged infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and top prospect Cam Smith in a win-now move.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal contributed to this report.
(Photo of Pressly: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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