Phillies MLB Trade Deadline Candidates: Ryan Pressly

The Philadelphia Phillies solidified their spot in the top tier of MLB teams with a hot start. They entered the season with World Series expectations despite a relatively slow offseason.

Dave Dombrowski showed confidence in the current makeup of the group by keeping his core pieces together with no major additions to the starting lineup.

What does the relatively slow strategy and the high demands from Philadelphia fans mean for the Phillies ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline?

This is a big market team operating on a hefty budget trying to take advantage of a window for World Series contention. Expect Dombrowski to make some deals.

Ryan Pressly stood on the mound and watched Kyle Tucker squeeze a weak pop-up off the bat of Nick Castellanos in foul territory. Phillies fans watched helplessly as the Houston Astros clinched the 2022 World Series and ended one of the most memorable runs in Philadelphia sports history. 

Could they cheer Pressly just two years later at Citizens Bank Park?

The 35-year-old former All-Star saved 90 games from 2021-23. He posted a WHIP under one and a modest 2.94 ERA during the three-year span. However, the Astros signed Josh Hader to push their long-time closer to a set-up role.

Houston entered 2024 looking to extend a streak of seven consecutive ALCS appearances. They limped through a disastrous month of April. Ken Rosenthal already listed them as a potential surprise seller at the MLB Trade Deadline.

The same type of deep hole pushed the New York Mets to sell in July 2023. The Astros have some incentive to do the same with veterans like Pressly, Justin Verlander, or Alex Bregman.

Pressly will earn $14 million in 2024. He’ll most likely qualify for a vesting option that means an additional $14 million in guaranteed money for the final year of his deal in 2025. 

Jeff Hoffman stunningly earned a role as the primary right-handed reliever for the Phillies during the 2023 postseason. He’s off to another fantastic start in 2024 that is erasing any doubts about a potential flash in the pan.

However, Rob Thomson doesn’t have many options behind Hoffman. Orion Kerkering has a bright future. He’ll need to develop a deeper pitch selection and expand past his nasty sweeper before the Phillies should trust him in high-leverage postseason spots.

Yunior Marte showed promise in April before an untimely injury. He also doesn’t have the major league track record to become the best option behind Hoffman just yet.

The Phillies want Seranthony Dominguez to fill the role as an in-house option. The Dominican fireballer hasn’t pitched confidently enough in 2023 or 2024, however. Early-season blowups against the Braves, Reds, and Angels skyrocketed his ERA, and it’s fair to question his level of confidence out of the bullpen.

Should Dombrowski expect internal improvement, or should he aggressively pursue a trade for Ryan Pressly?

If Pressly does end up on the trade market, he’s an ideal fit. He's shaken off a poor start and regained a rhythm that matches his career track record. A right-hander with a World Series pedigree at the back end of the bullpen should be a primary target for Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies.

The Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners didn’t bury their AL West rival during Houston’s weak stretch to begin 2024, however.

The Phillies can’t control the AL West standings or Houston’s decisions. Dombrowski will wait it out and see if a talented team decides to move any big names. If the Astros do sell, there’s still no guarantee they won’t keep Pressly and let Josh Hader walk away in free agency this winter instead.

The time leading up until July 30 will also give the Phillies the opportunity to evaluate Dominguez with a larger body of work.

A lot of factors have to fall into place while other right-handed relievers become available and/or come off the market. However, keep an eye on a 2022 World Series nemesis leading up to the MLB Trade Deadline.

When fans of the Philadelphia Phillies think about the World Series, their minds probably flash to 1980 or 2008. The euphoria of the most passionate sports city in the world created memories that will last a lifetime and pass through generations.

The Phillies are one of the oldest franchises in professional sports. You might hear more often about how they were the first to lose 10,000 games, but they've also reached the World Series eight times.

The Fightin’ Phils waited nearly a century of existence and 77 years after the first Fall Classic before winning their first championship ring. The early years included runs from some of the all-time greats, including the renowned “Whiz Kids” in 1950.

The great teams of the 1970s and 1980s captured two more National League pennants. Legends of the game like Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, and Pete Rose reached the level of franchise allure. One decade later, one of the most beloved teams in Philly sports history took the town by storm.

Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, and Chase Utley carried the torch during the 21st century. Bryce Harper has taken over and led the Phillies into a new era.

Baseball cherishes its history more than any other sport. Memories of America’s (former?) Pastime help maintain the love that fans have for the sports and for their teams. When a long summer culminates in a World Series run in October, they get to witness an event for the history books.

Phillies fans have of course suffered through more losses than any other professional sports franchises. The hardships of the past allow them to cherish the memories of success that they’ve hung around long enough to enjoy.

Grover Cleveland Alexander led the Phillies to their first World Series appearance in franchise history in 1915. He went 31-10 in 49 starts for a team that called the Baker Bowl in North Philadelphia their home. The Phillies won Game 1 of the World Series with Alexander on the mound, but the Red Sox rallied for four straight to take the title.

The “Whiz Kids” shocked the world by winning the National League pennant on the backs of stars Del Ennis, Richie Ashburn, and Robin Roberts. The miracle season didn’t have a happy ending, however. Joe DiMaggio and the New York Yankees swept the underdog Phillies to win their second of five consecutive World Series.

The franchise began as the Philadelphia Quakers in 1883, and the first World Series took place 20 years later. However, Phillies fans had to wait until 1980 to celebrate their first World Series.

Mike Schmidt led the team with two home runs and seven RBIs in the series. Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson for the final out in Game 6 at Veterans Stadium end the drought.

Schmidt led the Phillies to another National League pennant three years later. A 3-1 series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS sent the Phillies back to the World Series for the second time in four tries during the most successful era in franchise history.

The stars of the team didn't appear as ripe as the 1950 Whiz Kids, so the Wheeze Kids moniker fit them a little better.

Future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray helped the Orioles break the dreams of Philadelphia fans. They took down the Phillies in five games, including a 5-0 whimper at Veterans Stadium in the clincher.

The 1993 Phillies became one of the most beloved teams in Philadelphia sports history because of the “Macho Row” mentality that landed so perfectly with the fan base. A colorful mix of personalities like Curt Schilling, Lenny Dykstra, and John Kruk helped push the Phillies past the Braves in the NLCS.

One of the most infamous moments in franchise history ended the memorable ride. Mitch Williams surrendered a walk-off home run to Joe Carter in the 9th inning of the Game 6 clincher.

The Phillies announced a new era of dominance in 2007 by storming back on the New York Mets for their first playoff appearance in 14 years. However, they left the fan base hungry for more with a quick playoff exit. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Cole Hamels delivered one year later with an unforgettable playoff run.

Shane Victorino’s grand slam helped the Phillies to a commanding lead in the NLDS. Matt Stairs hit an absolute moonshot at Dodger Stadium. Utley made the best heads-up play in MLB history for the third out of the 7th inning in the clincher.

Mother Nature made them wait two extra days, but Brad Lidge eventually threw the final strike to break a 25-year championship drought for major professional sports teams in Philadelphia. Hamels took home the hardware as the World Series MVP at age 24.

The defending NL champions sunk the Dodgers again in the NLCS to advance back to the World Series. Cliff Lee dominated a stacked Yankees lineup in Game 1, but the Phillies ultimately ran out of gas just short of the finish line.

Cole Hamels ended his disappointing 2009 season with a Game 3 loss. Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Hideki Matsui overwhelmed a pitching staff that didn’t have enough behind Lee to win consecutive titles.

The Phillies backed into the 2022 MLB Playoffs, but their first postseason trip in over a decade made the fan base forget quickly. A 9th inning rally in the postseason opener raised some eyebrows, and the Phillies set themselves up for the triumphant return of Red October at Citizens Bank Park.

The Atlanta Braves didn’t know what hit them in an NLDS stunner, and Bryce Harper capped off the NLCS with the swing of his life against the San Diego Padres.

Only the Houston Astros stood in the way. The Phillies slugged their way to a 2-1 lead in front of a raucous crowd in Philadelphia, but the Astros responded with a combined no-hitter in Game 4 to suck the momentum out of the miracle Red October run. The series ended with another heartbreaker in a Game 6 loss in Houston.