The Cubs made their trade with the Astros for veteran reliever Ryan Pressly official on Tuesday, announcing that they’d designated reliever Matt Festa for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster.
To complete the deal, the Cubs sent minor-league pitcher Juan Bello to the Astros. Bello played for Single-A Myrtle Beach last season, recording a 3.21 ERA .
The Astros are covering $5.5 million of the $14 million remaining on Pressly’s contract this year, a source confirmed. Pressly waived his no-trade clause to join the Cubs.
Festa was on the roster for less than three weeks. The Cubs acquired him after the Rangers designated him for assignment, trading cash to Texas.
As the Astros have sought to shed payroll this offseason, they’ve become an important trade partner for the Cubs, who are aiming to end a four-year playoff drought while still operating within budget limits.
In December, the teams came together in a deal that brought three-time All-Star Kyle Tucker to the Cubs in a walk year, upgrading their offense. Now, in Pressly, the Cubs have added a high-leverage reliever with postseason experience who is a favorite to claim the closer job.
Those two areas, an impact bat and experienced back-end reliever, were priorities for the Cubs this offseason.