The Houston Astros have made one more important move before Opening Day on Thursday. This move is signing closer Ryan Pressly to a two-year contract extension. This deal is worth $30 million guaranteed and it has an option for 2025. Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle says the option will vest with at least 50 appearances in both 2023 and 2024. With this deal, Pressly will be one of the highest paid relievers in all of baseball. The extension means that Pressly will be closing out games for Houston through at least 2024.
This is the second time in his career that Pressly has accepted an extension from the Astros. The 33-year-old previously signed a three-year extension with the team in March of 2019. 2022 is the last year of that previous deal. Now with this new extension, Pressly will pitch for the Astros through at least 2024 and possibly 2025.
Steady Pressly
Since coming over to the Astros in a trade with the Minnesota Twins in 2018, Pressly has been one of the best relievers in baseball. In four seasons with Houston, the veteran has a 2.21 ERA, a 0.941 WHIP, and has saved 43 ball games. He has struck out batters at a rate of 11.8 per nine innings while walking only 1.9 batters per nine innings.
Pressly’s 2021 season was arguably his best season yet. He went 5-3 with a career high 26 saves, fourth-most in the AL. His 2.25 ERA was a career low, as was his walk rate of 1.8 batters per nine and his 0.969 WHIP. His 81 strikeouts were the second-most in his strong career. He was named to his second career All-Star Game last year. Both All-Star appearances came as a member of the Astros.
Overall, across nine seasons, both as a setup man and closer, Pressly is 26-25 with 44 saves. He has a 3.23 ERA in 449 appearances. Pressly enters his tenth major league season with 496 strikeouts and a 1.180 WHIP.
