The Chicago Cubs traded for Ryan Pressly in the offseason, but he has struggled this season. The Cubs could be interested in adding another option in the backend of their bullpen.
Pressly has a 4.03 ERA, which would be the second-worst mark of his career if the season ended today. He has just five saves, and Daniel Palencia has taken over as the team’s closer. The Cubs had hoped Pressly could be a shutdown closer for their team as he was for the Houston Astros before Josh Hader’s arrival.
Pressly has not performed like the Cubs had hoped, and they could be interested in a better option than Palencia to close games. FanSided’s Christopher Kline suggested they could trade for David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bednar was optioned to Triple-A on April 1 after allowing three runs in three outings and recording just three outs. However, he has returned and looks closer to the version of himself that was named an All-Star in 2022 and 2023. Since his return from Triple-A, he has a 2.19 ERA, nine saves and three holds.
The Pirates are poised to be sellers at the trade deadline, and Bednar should have plenty of suitors thanks to his resurgence. Bednar has one more year of club control after this season and could be a steady option for Craig Counsell to close games. Bednar led the National League in saves in 2023, but struggled immensely in 2024.
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Pressly had 90 saves for the Astros from 2021-2023. However, the arrival of Hader pushed him out of the closer role. The Cubs and Pressly had both hoped he could once again dominate the ninth inning in Chicago, but things have not worked out. The Cubs will need a reliable option to close games if they want to make a deep run. Palencia has emerged as that option, but adding Bednar would give them a more experienced closer and some insurance, at the very least.
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