The Chicago Cubs put the rest of Major League Baseball on notice with a high-caliber star signing this winter.
Shortly before star outfielder Kyle Tucker officially left the team for a new contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cubs announced that they had stolen veteran third baseman Alex Bregman away from the Boston Red Sox with a five-year, $175 million deal.
It was a clear statement that the team expects to build on its playoff appearance last year and a clear response to fans’ calls for the franchise to spend more willingly on proven free agents.
Chicago Cubs Cut Two-Time All-Star Reliever Before He Ended Career
The team has also been decisive when it comes to parting with familiar faces as well as welcoming in new ones. Last year, the team cut ties with star reliever Ryan Pressly before the end of the season. And now Pressly has officially confirmed that marked the end of his career.
“Ryan Pressly, one of the most prolific postseason relievers of his era and a figurehead of the Houston Astros’ ascension into an American League superteam, announced his retirement from baseball Saturday after a 13-year major-league career,” according to Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. “Pressly collected 117 career saves, earned two All-Star appearances and closed for Team USA during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.”
For Pressly’s final season with the Astros, the team acquired star closer Josh Hader and moved Pressly into a setup role. That seemed to coincide with a step back in production and the Astros traded Pressly to the Cubs last winter.
But Pressly struggled to recapture his old form with the Cubs and he logged a 4.35 ERA in less than 42 total innings last year before the Cubs designated him for assignment, then released him.
Legendary Closer Ryan Pressly Sends Cubs Message After Announcement
Pressly signed a two-year, $30 million extension with the Astros in 2022 that included a $14 million vesting option for the 2025 season. Rather than fight back to the big leagues following his cut from the Cubs, it looks like he is hanging up his spikes.
“And to the Cubs for giving me a chance to pitch for such an iconic franchise,” Pressly wrote in a statement following his retirement decision, per Rome and Rosenthal. “Wrigley Field, those North Side fans … unforgettable. Thank you.”
Pressly did not pan out the way the Cubs hoped when they acquired him from the Astros, but as he looks back on his baseball career as a whole, it’s probably hard for Pressly to hold onto many regrets.