Ryan Pressly makes his feelings known about fulfilling Cubs dream

A few days ago, Houston Astros reliever Ryan Pressly waived his no-trade protection to join the Chicago Cubs. Chicago sent over RHP prospect Juan Bello in exchange for the veteran arm.

The Astros have been working with limited payroll space this winter. This move helped free up some space for the club, and now Pressly will be able to live out a dream he has had since he was a kid.

Pressly grew up watching pitchers dominate at Wrigley Field and always wanted to know that feeling. Now, he gets his chance and should slide into the closer role.

"Playing for the Chicago Cubs, a pretty historic franchise, and then you get to go pitch in Wrigley is something that I have always wanted to do, even as a little kid," said Pressly.

Pressly joins Kyle Tucker who was also sent over to Chicago via a trade. The Cubbies have kept plenty busy this winter trying to add pieces to make them a contender in the National League Central.

"It was tough to make this decision, probably one of the hardest decisions I've ever made, but I think playing in Chicago has always kind of been a dream of mine, and I'm excited to get out there and put on a Cubs uniform" said Pressly.

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The Cubs may not be done adding arms

Chicago Cubs - Craig Counsell (Photo via IMAGN)

The bullpen was a pressing matter for the Cubs in 2024. While they made some noise in the division, their bullpen was ultimately what led to them being unable to make the postseason.

With Pressly now signed, the club has now added an elite closer to their staff, but that may not be the only arm the team brings in.

There are multiple high-leverage relievers sitting on the open market who could make a splash. Kensley Jansen, David Robertson and Carlos Estevez are all names that should see success in 2025.

Robertson would make a ton of sense here, being a former Cub and all. He could also slot in nicely as a setup man for Pressly to close out the game.

Either way, with Pressly signed, this bullpen should see a boost from last season. They now have an experienced arm to shut the door in the ninth inning. The question is, is the front office comfortable with what they have or do they want to secure their bullpen with another arm?