Detroit Tigers "Out" After Ryan Pressly Rejects Team with No-Trade Clause

It will either be a trade to the Chicago Cubs or no trade at all for Houston Astros reliever Ryan Pressly.

Oct 2, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Ryan Pressly (55) throws against the Detroit Tigers during the eighth inning of game two of the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Minute Maid Park. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Houston Astros reliever Ryan Pressly has rejected waiving his no-trade clause in his contract for any deal involving the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers are officially out of the running for the closer, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Pressly is happy where he is. He does not want to be traded. His family lives in Houston and he wants to stay there. He has a no-trade clause in his contract and he has been opting to exercise it. The only possible trade partner remaining for Pressly is the Chicago Cubs.

It’s the Cubs as closer or just late-inning reliever for the Astros for Ryan Pressly.
It’s his choice.
Tigers are out.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 25, 2025

Pressly spent the first six seasons of his career with the MInnesota Twins. He was traded to the Astros right before the trade deadline in 2018, The trade paid dividends as Pressly became an All-Star the for the first time the following season.

Pressly was typically a setup man for the closer in 2024. Most of his 59 appearances typically started in the eighth inning.

He still managed to end up with a 3.49 ERA in 2024. He averaged 26 saves in each of the last three seasons. In his only post-season appearance last season, he gave up three runs on two hits in only 2.3 of an inning in a Game 2 loss of the ALDS against Detroit.

When Pressly entered the game, the Astros had scored two runs in the seventh to take a one-run lead. He blew it in the eighth and Houston would go on to lose the game as their season hung in the balance.

Houston is also looking to dump his $14 million salary.

The Cubs are pushing to get Pressly as their closer position is void. They released Hector Neris in the offseason and he signed with Houston a few days later to compete for a spot in their bullpen.