Former Twins reliever and trade mistake joining player development staff

Ryan Pressly, who won a World Series with the Astros, is retiring and joining the Twins' coaching staff.

Oct 11, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly (55) pitches in the in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins during game four of the ALDS for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Target Field. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Former Twins reliever Ryan Pressly, who won a World Series with the Astros, is retiring from his playing career and joining Minnesota's coaching staff in a player development role, per reports.

Pressly joins outfielder Michael A. Taylor as the second former Twins player who has retired this offseason and joined Derek Shelton's staff. MLB Network's Jon Heyman was first on the news of Pressly being hired by the Twins.

Ryan Pressly, who announced his retirement today, is going to work for the Twins. They also hired Michael A. Taylor, another recent retiree who should easily relate to current Twins. Pressly was one of the most clutch closers in recent times.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 18, 2026

According to SKOR North's Declan Goff, Pressly will "help with pitchers at both the major and minor league levels and have a presence at spring training."

The Twins could certainly use the 37-year-old Pressly as a pitcher in their bullpen, even after he had a disappointing season with the Cubs in 2025. But if he's choosing to hang up the cleats and end his playing career, bringing him on board as a coach is the next-best thing.

Pressly joined the Twins in the 2012 Rule 5 draft when he was a Red Sox prospect. He debuted in 2013 and turned into a solid reliever for Minnesota, recording a 3.75 ERA in 317 innings pitched over parts of six seasons. He was in the midst of a breakout season in 2018 when the Twins made a trade that aged very poorly, sending Pressly to the Astros for prospects Jorge Alcala and Gilberto Celestino.

Ryan Pressly in 2018 | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Neither Alcala nor Celestino amounted to much with the Twins. Meanwhile, Pressly went on to become one of the best relievers in Astros history and a franchise legend. He was immediately dominant for Houston after the trade in 2018. He then made his first All-Star team in 2019 and another in 2021, which was the first of three straight seasons with at least 26 saves.

Across seven seasons with the Astros, Pressly had a 2.81 ERA and 111 saves across 333 innings pitched in the regular season. In the playoffs, he had a 2.78 ERA and 14 more saves in 45.1 frames. He had six saves in 11 scoreless innings in the 2022 postseason, where he helped lead the Astros to a World Series title.

Pressly, with all of his experience, figures to make a good coach who can help a Twins bullpen in transition in 2026 and beyond. LaTroy Hawkins, another former Twins pitcher, is the bullpen coach for new manager Derek Shelton. Those are two pretty good guys for young relievers to learn from.

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