Inside The Cubs

Chicago Cubs DFA Veteran Pitcher After Ryan Pressly Trade Becomes Official

Ryan Pressly is officially a member of the Chicago Cubs, forcing them to designate one of their veteran pitchers for assignment.
Brad Wakai|
Jun 11, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Ryan Pressly (55) celebrates after the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park
Jun 11, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Ryan Pressly (55) celebrates after the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

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Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs pulled off their second blockbuster with the Houston Astros of the offseason when they acquired Ryan Pressly in a trade that had plenty of twists and turns.

Knowing he had a no-trade clause that he reportedly utilized on at least one occasion, the Cubs were ultimately able to convince him to accept this deal with the promise he would return to being a full-time closer after he was relegated to the setup role with the Astros when they signed Josh Hader.

Details about the compensation package were eventually released, and it was clear Chicago got a steal for one year of a high-end reliever.

Per Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, the Cubs will only pay Pressly $8.5 million out of the $14 million he was owed, with Houston picking up the remainder of the cost. Chicago shipped out their Single-A pitcher Juan Bello as part of the deal.

For a Cubs team that was still in desperate need of rostering a reliable closer at this stage of the offseason, getting someone whose posted a 2.81 ERA and 151 ERA+ across 342 outings with 111 saves during his tenure with the Astros is a huge boost to this relief staff.

The only thing that stood in the way of this trade being completed was a physical.

But, everything seems to have been OK because Chicago announced the deal as being official.

As the team's announcement states, they designated Matt Festa for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

The right-hander was acquired from the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations on Jan. 9, and while he's been a solid reliever during his career with a 4.60 ERA across his 108 outings, he was the first man out when it came to adding Pressly.

Festa will now be available for every team around the league if they wish to claim him off waivers.

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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently is the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. He is also a contributor at FanSided, writing about the Philadelphia 76ers for The Sixers Sense. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai