As the Cubs look to bolster the back end of their bullpen, they have considered a long list of names through the trade market and free agency. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report that Chicago has some interest in the Astros righty. Ryan Pressly and that they are looking at a long list of free agents – Kenley Jansen, David Robertson, Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek again Brooks Raley among them.
The Cubs just finished second to the Dodgers in their signing effort Tanner Scottreveals a reported four-year, $66MM deal that broke all of Chicago’s recent streak of bullpen acquisitions. The Cubs have not offered a multi-year guarantee or eight-figure salary to any reliever since signing. Craig Kimbrel in 2019. Signing Scott would mark a major paradigm shift for president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer. The same is true of free agent Carlos Estevez, who the Cubs have been linked to. In contrast, the list of considerations highlighted by Mooney and Sharma is very much in line with the team’s previous approach to building bulls.
Press stands as a very interesting word for many things. A trade involving Houston’s longtime shortstop would have major ramifications for the two clubs and devastating consequences for the rest of the free agency. He is owed $14MM this season in the final year of his contract but also has a no-trade agreement, allowing him to control his own destiny.
If Pressly were open to a trade that would send him to Wrigley Field, the Cubs would immediately have a new closer, while the Astros would be back under the luxury tax threshold. Houston currently sits just $3MM over the line, according to RosterResource. Trading Pressly will put them at $11MM below limit, perhaps giving the ‘Stros a financial opportunity to pursue an outfielder. They are reportedly interested in it Jurickson ProfarFor example.
The 36-year-old Presly was Houston’s starting closer for four seasons, from 2020-23, before passing on the opportunity to sign as a free agent. Josh Hader in 2024. He stepped into the setup role this past season and tallied 25 in addition to four saves. He threw 56 2/3 innings with a solid 3.49 ERA, 23.8% strikeout rate, 7.4% walk rate, 48.8% groundball rate and 0.64 homers per nine innings.
All of those average numbers were better than the league average, but most still represent a step in the wrong direction for Pressly. Beginning with his breakout season in Minnesota in 2018 and extending through the 2023 season, for example, Pressly struck out 32.6% of his opponents with a 6.4% walk rate. The rise in at-bats this past season was nothing short of spectacular, but it’s fair to say that Pressly isn’t short of at-bats close to what he did in his prime. A four-footer who averaged 95.3 mph from ’18-’23 averaged 93.8 mph in ’24, and his swing rate dropped from 16.6% (again, ’18-’23) to a strong but very little. a remarkable 12.6%. The league average this past season was 11.1%.
According to Payroll, adding Pressly would increase the Cubs’ roughly $194MM in 2025 payroll with an estimated $212MM in luxury considerations. That would leave them $29MM shy of this year’s $241MM tax limit. The Cubs and Astros have already teamed up for one blockbuster, they’re posting Kyle Tucker from Houston to Chicago to find a football player Isaac Paredesit’s okay Hayden Wesneski and high hopes Cam Smith. One would think that Pressly’s name at least came up in those talks, but the larger and more elaborate package that sent Tucker and Pressly to Wrigley Field apparently never made it.
The free agent candidates listed by The Athletic all rank as the Cubs’ favorites for short-term acquisitions in the bullpen, but the actual pursuit of Jansen and/or Robertson has yet to mark a change of note. From 2020-24, the biggest guarantee the Cubs gave the raft was Hector Neris‘ $9MM deal last season. It’s possible that Jansen or Robertson could command an eight-figure guarantee. Jansen saved 27 games and posted a 3.29 ERA, 28.4% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate in 54 2/3 innings with the Red Sox this past season. Robertson earned a 3.00 earned run average in 72 innings with Texas, striking out one-third of opponents with a 9.1% walk rate.
The Cubs are very familiar with Robertson, of course. He signed a one-year minimum contract prior to the 2022 season and significantly revitalized his career at Wrigley Field. However, this time the circumstances will be different. Robertson signed a one-year, $3.5MM incentive-laden contract through the 2021-22 season, as he was completely sidelined following Tommy John surgery while playing for the Phillies. He is now coming off three outstanding seasons. With recent guarantees of $10MM for both Jose Leclerc (A) and Andrew Kittredge (O’s), Robertson can command a salary north of that amount. The Cubs’ offer of Scott and reported interest in Estevez shows a willingness to spend that kind of money on a relief item, however.
As for the others, they will probably come on a smaller scale. The Mets declined the full $7.5MM option on Maton, opting to buyout for $250K over the $7.75MM option. He’s still going to have a good year, though, as he posted a 3.66 ERA, a 22.6% strikeout rate, a 9.1% walk rate and a 46.8% slugging percentage in 64 frames. He finished well after being traded from the Rays to the Mets in July. Stanek was another summer trade item for the Mets; posted a combined 4.88 ERA in 55 1/3 innings between Seattle and Queens. He struck out 27.8% of his opponents but issued walks at a 10.4% clip and was tagged with a 1.30 homer average per nine innings.
Raley is on the mend from Tommy John surgery on May 29 this past season. So, the 36-year-old southpaw (37 in June) will be an offseason addition wherever he signs — whether in Chicago or elsewhere. Raley was excellent from 2022-24 when healthy, pitching 115 1/3 frames of 2.58 ERA ball with a 27.3% strikeout rate and a 9% walk rate.
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