Trade Bait: Astros’ Former Closer Tops Trade Candidate List

The Houston Astros are heading into the offseason with a lot of big decisions to make after an early exit in the playoffs this past year.

After making it to the American League Championship Series seven times in a row, the Astros were shockingly eliminated by the Detroit Tigers in the Wild Card round.

While the early exit could have just been a bad two-game stretch, it could also be an indication that Houston’s run of success is coming to a close.

For the last decade, they have been one of the best teams in baseball, and a lot of their core is getting set to receive massive paydays soon.

Third baseman Alex Bregman is the most notable name for them hitting free agency this winter, and as the best third baseman available, he is set to receive a massive contract from someone.

Due to the Astros having Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez scheduled to become free agents next year, a lot of tough decisions are going to have to be made.

With money potentially becoming an issue for Houston, Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently named Ryan Pressly as the player most likely to be traded by the Astros this offseason.

“Pressly will make $14 million in 2025, which is a lot considering he’s not even the closer in Houston anymore with Josh Hader taking that role. With that said, he recorded 90 saves between 2021 and 2023 and closed out the 2022 World Series. If there’s a team that views him as their closer, they’ll likely be willing to take on the majority of all of his money in 2025. It should be noted that Pressly has a full no-trade clause and is going to turn 36 next month. So a trade is hardly a certainty. But unless general manager Dana Brown trades Framber Valdez or Kyle Tucker ahead of their contract years, which seems unlikely, Pressly might be the most realistic trade candidate.”

Due to the need for closers around the league, it is certainly possible they find a trade partner for their former ninth-inning man.

Even though he was replaced by Josh Hader as the closer, he has a lot of experience in the role, and doing so in October.

While the price tag will certainly be the sticking point in any potential deal, if Houston is willing to not get much in return by potentially eating some salary, a deal could be reached.

Pressly is certainly an important part of the team as the setup man, but moving his salary could help them keep players like Bregman, Tucker, and Valdez going forward.

That will likely be more of a priority for the Astros, but finding a trade partner won’t be easy.