Cubs Under-the-Radar Bullpen Addition Provides Much-Needed Upgrade

The Chicago Cubs’ 2025 regular season did not get off to the kind of start that they were hoping for in the Tokyo Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

They were swept in the two-game series, losing the opener 4-1 before dropping Game 2, 6-3. An 0-2 start is far from ideal, but there isn’t any reason to panic yet with so much season remaining.

The Cubs have a very talented lineup that is now anchored by star right fielder Kyle Tucker, who was acquired in an offseason trade from the Houston Astros.

That move was thought of highly by Jim Bowden of The Athletic (paid subscription required) as one that would move the needle for the franchise. A three-time All-Star, he is in the conversation as one of the best position players in baseball.

However, that wasn’t the only move the former MLB executive liked that Chicago made this past winter.

He liked what the team did with their bullpen, making a second trade with the Astros to acquire veteran Ryan Pressly, naming that transaction their best under-the-radar move of the offseason.

“The Ryan Pressly trade. The 36-year-old righty gives them a much-needed impact closer who brings quiet leadership and mental toughness to their bullpen,” Bowden wrote.

A two-time All-Star, the veteran righty brings much-needed experience to the backend of the team’s bullpen. Before his acquisition, the only player with late-game experience was Porter Hodge, who made his debut in 2024 and eventually took over as Craig Counsell’s closer.

Before Houston signed Josh Hader in free agency, it was Pressly who was handling the ninth inning for the squad.

He excelled in the late-game role, saving 90 games between 2021 and 2023 with 111 total saves in his career with the Astros.

Pressly hasn’t showcased the same strikeout potential in recent years, as his 9.2 K/9 in 2024 was his lowest since 2017 with the Minnesota Twins.

Despite the drop in strikeouts and opponents hitting him a little harder over the last two campaigns than in years in the past, Pressly remains a reliable and productive late-game pitcher.

He has shown an ability to consistently throw strikes; his Cubs debut in Tokyo, when he walked three batters in one inning of work, is almost certainly an aberration not a sign of things to come.

His leadership and experience are something that the younger pitchers on the Chicago pitching staff are going to greatly benefit from.

Even if he isn’t as dominant as he was a few years ago, Pressly is a big upgrade for the team’s bullpen.