While the Kansas City Royals may be finished making big moves this offseason, other teams across MLB are still very much active in both free agency and the trade market. Even with a strong roster themselves, the Royals’ chances in 2025 are significantly impacted by the big transactions of rival teams, and it appears Kansas City were lucky enough to dodge a bullet this week.
On January 26, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Chicago Cubs were finalizing a trade to acquire veteran set-up man/closer Ryan Pressly from the Houston Astros, with the right-hander having waived his contract’s no-trade clause to allow the move. According to Passan, “Houston will send money to help cover [Pressly’s] $14 million salary,” though the exact details are yet to be confirmed. The trade is expected to be made official after Pressly passes a medical review.
So why exactly does that matter to the Royals? Because just two days prior to Passan’s report, Pressly was linked to the Detroit Tigers, and a two-time All-Star reliever bolstering the bullpen of an AL Central rival would have had a major impact on the Royals’ chances in 2025.
KC Royals are lucky that the Detroit Tigers missed out on Ryan Pressly
Going into his 13th season in the majors, Pressly has established himself as one of the best high-leverage relievers in MLB. Since his debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2013, the right-hander has earned two All-Star selections (2019, 2021), won a World Series title (2022), and been named to the All-MLB Second Team (2022). He was the first pitcher in MLB history to finish two no-hitters — including one during the 2022 World Series — and holds the MLB record for the most consecutive scoreless appearances after a 40-game streak in 2019.
The Chicago Cubs are finalizing a trade to acquire closer Ryan Pressly from the Houston Astros, pending medical review, sources tell ESPN. Pressly will waive his no-trade clause to Chicago to facilitate the move, and Houston will send money to help cover his $14 million salary.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 26, 2025
Initially utilized as a set-up man, Pressly transitioned to being the Astros full-time closer in 2020. Despite thriving in the new role, he moved back to a set-up role last year after Houston signed closer Josh Hader, and finished the 2024 season with a 3.49 ERA, 25 holds, and 4 saves in 56.2 innings.
Since signing with Houston before the 2018 season, Pressly has accumulated an impressive 2.81 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 411 strikeouts in 333 innings of work, boasting a 30.9% strikeout rate and 6.16% walk rate. Last year, his curveball spin rate of 3,258 rpm ranked in the 99th percentile of all qualified pitchers, according to Baseball Savant, while his 50.9% ground-ball rate ranked in the 85th percentile.
Rumors of Pressly potentially being traded have swirled all offseason, especially since the Astros have been looking to tighten up their payroll for 2025. After meeting the minimum number of appearances across 2023 and 2024 to trigger the vesting option on his contract, Pressly will earn a salary of $14 million this year, which made him an obvious trade candidate before spring training.
On January 24, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the Astros had officially asked Pressly to waive his no trade clause to the Cubs and “at least one other team,” which was later confirmed to be the Tigers.
Coming off their first playoff berth since 2014, the Tigers have been in the market for a high-leverage reliever this winter, but so far, their payroll constraints have limited their ability to compete for big-name free agents. With mere weeks until spring training, acquiring a proven veteran like Pressly to bolster the bullpen could be a game-changer for Detroit — which should catch the Royals’ attention. Last year, the Tigers and Royals finished the regular season with identical 86-76 records, and as both teams push to contend in 2025, any transaction that could give Detroit an edge in the AL Central is a worry for Kansas City.
Fortunately for the Royals, Pressly declined to waive his no-trade clause for the Tigers, stopping any potential move to Detroit in its tracks. Just two days later, Passan reported the 36-year-old was being traded to the Cubs, confirming that the Tigers will need to look elsewhere for their bullpen needs.
At least for now, the Royals can officially go back to worrying about their own pitching woes.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source kingsofkauffman.com ’
