Cubs to pick up Ryan Pressly from Houston Astros

After a few days of wrangling, the Cubs have acquired closer Ryan Pressly from the Houston Astros.

The trade will send Pressly and $5.5 million in cash to the Cubs in exchange for right-handed pitcher Juan Bello, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Pressly, 36, agreed to waive his no-trade clause. The deal is pending a review of medical records.

Pressly, 36, was removed from his role as Astros closer when they decided to sign free agent Josh Hader prior to last season. He pitched to a 3.49 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and struck out 58 in 56 ⅔ innings. He was the Astros' primary closer from 2021-23, a run that included him recording the final out of the 2022 World Series -- coincidentally a foul out to Tucker down the right field line. 

Bello, 20, started 22 games in A-ball last season, compiling a 3.21 ERA and a 3.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio. FanGraphs' Eric Longenhagen recently ranked Bello as the 31st best prospect in the system, concluding that he "has enough projectability and existing stuff to be forecast in a depth starter role, but he'll need to harness his secondaries in the zone more often to consistently get more advanced hitters out and turn over a lineup."

Pressly is set to hit free agency after the 2025 season and will make $14 million this year. Whether the trade is about the Astros shedding his salary as general bookkeeping or as the first step of another move (like, say, bringing back Alex Bregman) remains to be seen.