Should Royals Capitalize On Astros' Desperation To Trade $14 Million Ex-All-Star?
In this story:
Could the Kansas City Royals seize on an opportunity seemingly being dumped in their lap?
The Houston Astros appear to be renewing their efforts to re-sign free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, and to do so, they're likely going to have to cut some salary. A prime candidate to be traded is setup man Ryan Pressly, who is owed $14 million entering the final year of his current contract.
The Astros have hit one key snag, though. Pressly has a full no-trade clause, and according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, he's not willing to move either east or west to join a new team. That pretty much leaves only the Royals, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals as geographic fits.
Translation: if the Royals want to get involved in the Pressly sweepstakes, the Astros will be all ears.
In 2024, Pressly had a solid year despite being pushed out of the closer role by Josh Hader, posting a 3.49 ERA and 3.10 FIP in 56 innings pitched. If he rebounds to his 2021-2022 form, though, which included a 2.56 ERA in 112 1/3 innings, the Royals could have a steal on their hands.
If Pressly is a straight-up salary dump, which certainly looks to be the case at the moment, the Royals could potentially nab a market-price closer option on a one-year contract for peanuts. It's always good to trade with a team desperate to make a move, because you own all the leverage.
In a less likely scenario, the Royals could try to get the Astros to retain some of Pressly's salary in exchange for better prospects. But seeing as Houston is likely trying to free up every possible dollar for Bregman, that seems far-fetched.
If the Royals are willing to stomach the payroll hit, Pressly could be the perfect value proposition for them. But only they know whether that's in the cards for them from a financial perspective.
More MLB: Could Royals Trade All-Star Seth Lugo To Cubs For No. 6 Prospect?
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
Follow jrobertsbsbl