ANAHEIM -- When the Astros traded for Ryan Pressly midway through the 2019 season, they knew they were getting a player with the potential to be one of the best setup relievers in baseball. They wound up with an elite closer who will be in an Astros uniform for years to come.
Pressly, who grew up in the Dallas area, wanted to remain with the Astros and was able to strike a deal with Houston just prior to Opening Day for at least three more years. The Astros on Thursday announced the two-year contract extension with Pressly for 2023-24 with an option for '25. The deal could be worth $42 million total, a source told MLB.com.
“He's proven to be one of the best relievers in baseball and beyond,” Astros general manager James Click said. “That is somebody that has a tremendously positive influence in our bullpen in terms of mentoring the younger players and showing them how to be a professional and how to get out on the biggest stage in the biggest moments, and so having him solidify the backup our bullpen for years to come is something that we obviously value very highly and we're looking forward to having him out there for the next few years.”
Pressly signed a two-year, $30 million contract extension that will pay him $14 million in ’23 and ’24 with a $2 million buyout, a source told MLB.com ($30 million guaranteed). The deal comes with a $14 million vesting option for ’25 that will vest if he appears in 50 games in both ’23 and ’24.
“My wife is from Houston; I've got a lot of family and friends down there,” Pressly said. “My teammates are the greatest teammates I could ask for -- the front office, staff -- it’s just the perfect storm. And we’re winning. You can’t say enough about the fans, either. It’s a great atmosphere and I love being in this atmosphere, I love being in this clubhouse, and there’s really no other place I’d rather be.”
Pressly, 33, is coming off the best season of his career in which he posted a 2.25 ERA with 26 saves, 81 strikeouts, a 0.97 WHIP and a .208 opponents’ batting average. He was named to the All-Star team for the second time in three seasons but withdrew from the game because his wife was pregnant with the couple’s first child.
In the playoffs, Pressly had a 0.93 ERA with 14 strikeouts and two walks in 9 2/3 innings and had a save in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.
Since he was acquired from the Twins on July 27, 2018, Pressly has posted a 2.21 ERA with 43 saves in 168 games (162 2/3 innings) with the Astros, earning All-Star honors in 2019 and last year. Pressly signed a two-year, $17.5 million extension in March 2019 and had a vesting option for $10 million for 2022.