The Houston Astros appear to be headed for a slight rebuild. While they likely won't take it to the extent that the Miami Marlins or Chicago White Sox have taken their rebuilds, the Astros are still looking to dump expiring contracts to add younger talent.
They began this when they traded superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Cubs for infielder Isaac Paredes, prospect Cam Smith, and a pitcher. Houston could continue its selling with another star.
SBNation's John Stolnis recently predicted the Astros would explore the idea of trading their star closer, Ryan Pressly, this winter. Pressly is in the final year of his $30 million contract, and he's owed $14 million in 2025.
"The 36-year-old is still a good reliever, with a 3.49 ERA in 59 appearances as a set-up guy, but saw his strikeout rate drop by one K/9 and his WHIP jump from 1.071 to 1.341, allowing a .718 OPS that was the highest in any full season since 2016," Stolnis wrote. "For teams in need of a veteran right-handed reliever who can be thrown into the high leverage mix, Pressly won't be as expensive to obtain as (Ryan) Helsley and could be a nice secondary option for a contender in need."
Trading Pressly would make quite a bit of sense for the Astros unless they plan on extending him.
With Houston losing Tucker and potentially losing third baseman Alex Bregman, the Astros could use 2025 to retool their team for a 2026 World Series push. Landing a few prospects in exchange for Pressly would be another step in the right direction for the Astros' future.
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