Former Cubs closer officially retires after a run that didn’t live up to the hype

When the Chicago Cubs traded for Ryan Pressly last offseason, the hope was that they would have an established closer who could prove to be a difference-maker for a potential postseason run. Pressly's postseason work with the Houston Astros will forever be remembered, but when the Cubs reached the postseason last season, the veteran closer was no longer on the roster.

Pressly struggled in his only season with the Cubs and was released in a flurry of roster moves made after the trade deadline in July. While a return to Houston was considered, Pressly opted against reviving his major league career and announced his retirement this offseason.

Pressly will be remembered mostly for his work in the Astros' bullpen during their run at the top of the American League over the past decade, but he made sure to include some thanks for Cubs fans in his farewell announcement.

And to the Cubs for giving me a chance to pitch for such an iconic franchise. Wrigley Field, those North Side fans … unforgettable. Thank you.

Ryan Pressly walks away after a run Cubs fans will likely forget

More or less, Pressly never quite looked comfortable with the Cubs last season. In 44 outings, he posted an ERA of 4.35 while striking out only 15.4% of the hitters he faced. There were multiple instances where Pressly wasn't throwing competitive pitches, including a 9-run appearance against the San Francisco Giants last May and a 4-run outing against the Milwaukee Brewers in what was his final look with the team.

Pressly's unfortunate run with the Cubs is a reminder of Jed Hoyer's overall philosophy when it comes to constructing the team's bullpen. While Pressly was a large swing, the Cubs took on most of his salary, Hoyer prefers to piece together his bullpen with several bargain-bin additions instead of one big-ticket item.

That was the case this offseason when Hoyer and Co. spent nearly $30 million on several veterans for the bullpen. Hunter Harvey, making $6 million, was the biggest gamble made by the front office this offseason, but it's a unit that now includes Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and a returning Caleb Thielbar and Colin Rea.

Instead of racing out this offseason to find an established closer, as they did with Pressly last year, it seems likely that search will define the team's efforts at the trade deadline in July.