It's official. The Chicago Cubs have their closer in veteran right-hander Ryan Pressly. The trade with the Houston Astros, which was reported over the weekend, was announced by the team on Tuesday - and also included the corresponding move required to clear room on the 40-man roster.
Chicago designated right-hander Matt Festa for assignment, meaning they now have seven days to place him on waivers, trade him, release him or outright him to the minors. The Cubs picked Festa up earlier in January after the Texas Rangers designated him for assignment in exchange for cash considerations - and given his track record, we'll have to see how the next week plays out.
Last season with the Rangers, Festa made 19 appearances between the Rangers and Mets (with all but one of those appearances coming with Texas), working to a 3.38 FIP and 1.225 WHIP across 23 2/3 innings of work. In his pro career, he's been a guy who's been far more effective in the minors - and is yet to really put it all together at the big-league level.
Given the Cubs' 'throw as many names into the mix in camp as possible' approach to bullpen building, Festa was a low-cost option for Jed Hoyer who showed an ability to limit hard contact last season. Chicago remains interested in further bullpen additions, so if Festa sticks with the organization past the next seven days, he'll provide depth at Iowa.
Cubs' acquisition of closer Ryan Pressly becomes official
As for Pressly, the 36-year-old waived his no-trade clause to approve the move - giving him to once again close games after being displaced from the role when the Astros signed Josh Hader last winter. There were some warning signs with the right-hander last year, but the hope is that a return to ninth-inning duties will bode well for him in 2025.
Houston also sent $5.5 million to the Cubs to offset a portion of Pressly's salary, leaving Chicago on the hook for just $8.5 million this year. The Astros acquired pitching prospect Juan Bello in the deal. The young right-hander was a fringe top-30 organizational guy with upside, but it's far from a blue-chip talent heading to Houston in the trade.
Chicago badly needed veteran experience in the bullpen given the sheer volume of young arms in the mix. If Hoyer can add a David Robertson to pair with Pressly at the back end, the bullpen could immediately become a strength for the Cubs after inconsistent showings from relievers over the last two years became a major pain point and proved costly at season's end.