Pressly exited following a fractured relationship between the reliever and Astros general manager Dana Brown, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome. Brown said Houston’s signing of Josh Hader last offseason, which displaced Pressly, “fractured” Pressly and Brown’s relationship.
“Any time you take a major-league player out of a position where they are comfortable, it’s going to fracture your relationship some,” Brown said.
Rome said Brown placed Pressly on the trade block earlier this winter partly "because of their broken relationship."
And as for Pressly, Roma said Brown didn’t believe trading away the righty was his only path, complimenting the veteran for accepting a role he didn’t want.
“Pressly has been a real professional. “Pressly has been a real pro. He took the part — even though he still believed himself able to close. I know in Chicago he’s going to get the chance to close,” Brown said. “I felt like we had a bunch of extra relievers, and if this is an opportunity that we can obtain some money and build for the future. I thought this would be that moment.”
Pressly thrived as Houston’s closer from 2020 to 2023, notching 71 saves and keeping his E.R.A. at 3.58 or lower in that span. Last season, he had a career-high 33 saves, and in 2021 he had one of his best ERAs of his career at 2.25.
Pressly served as a setup man last season, notching four saves and posting a 3.49 ERA over 59 appearances.
Hader pitched his first season with the Astros in 2024, earning 34 saves with a 3.80 ERA in 71 appearances.
Hader had joined Houston in hopes of strengthening the back end of its bullpen, even if that meant squeezing Pressly out of the role he wanted most.
“You’re moving a guy out of position who didn’t feel like he deserved to lose the job because you acquired another elite closer like Hader,” Brown said, via Rome. “The entire rationale for doing all this was to ensure it locked down the back-end really good… But it was completely at odds with the mission on the front end.” I know he wanted to close, in his heart of hearts.
We’ve discussed it.” I would definitely say things were different, but we made it professional and we made it through."
So while Pressly might have had to leave the organization he had helped push to three World Series appearances and one championship, he will almost surely get the opportunity to step back into a closer role in Chicago.