The Chicago Cubs, the Milwaukee Brewers‘ main competition for the NL Central division crown, are set to acquire former Astros closer Ryan Pressly, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports.
The 36-year-old right hander has 12 big league seasons under his belt, including 7 with Houston. After an inconsistent 2023 campaign, Pressly lost his closer’s job last season as the team brought in ex-Brewer Josh Hader to take over that role. From 2021-2023, Pressly compiled 90 saves.
That didn’t mean he saw no save chances whatsoever in 2024. In 12 opportunities, however, he vindicated Houston’s decision to move on from him, converting only 4. Posting a 3.49 ERA across 56 2/3 innings, he recorded 25 holds and struck out 58 while surrendering 58 hits and walking 16.
Despite his struggles in recent years, he projects to reassume closer duties in Chicago, who sent their 2024 saves leader Hector Neris back to Houston in a deadline move last year.
Chicago Cubs’ Pressly Deal Has Nothing on Milwaukee Brewers’ Own Closer Situation
Pressly waived his no-trade clause in order to join the Cubs, predicted NL Central champs in 2025. Although he has a solid track record–in 2021 he was downright dominant with a 2.25 ERA and 0.97 WHIP–he is not a home run signing by any stretch. As part of the transaction, Houston remains on the hook for part of his $14 million paycheck.
Rogers notes that the Cubs blew 26 saves last season, conferring value in a reliever like Pressly with closing experience.
With Trevor McGill penciled in to handle their own 9th-inning leads, though, the Brewers have no reason to lament Pressly’s departure from the trade market. In 2024, his second year in Brewtown, Megill registered 21 saves in 24 tries, whiffing 50 in 46 innings. En route to a 2.72 ERA, he gave up just 33 hits and issued 13 free passes.
What does warrant at least a little concern is the loss of Devin Williams in Milwaukee’s trade for Yankees starter Nestor Cortes this offseason. When he wasn’t injured, Williams accounted for 14 of the team’s 53 saves last season and was undoubtedly the pen’s best arm (1.25 ERA) A Brewer his entire career, the fireballer ended his tenure at six years.
If Milwaukee does replace him in what remains of the offseason (at this point it seems unlikely they will), the team may need to bolster the pen at the 2025 trade deadline depending on who steps up to fill his absence.
The Rest of the Pen
The Brewers will likely trot out Joel Payamps and Jared Koenig as setup men. For his part, Payamps impressed in 59 innings last season, allowing only 39 hits with a 3.3 K/BB ratio. Primarily a late-inning weapon, he also notched 6 saves in 9 chances, a sign that he can be called upon in a pinch.
Koenig notched an aesthetic 9-4 record in 55 appearances, including 6 “starts” as an opener. In his second season of major league action, the 31-year-old held the opposition to 2.47 earned runs per nine in 62 innings of work, a steep dropoff from his 5.72 mark in ’23 with Oakland. Like Megill, part of his success came from limiting longballs (each allowed 4 homeruns).
Even without a replacement for Williams, the Brewers’ bullpen can be a strong suit this year if players like Bryan Hudson (1.73 ERA) and Elvis Peguero (2.98 ERA), in addition to Megill, Payamps and Koenig, reproduce their 2024 performances.
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