"Baseball is a cruel business" - Astros insider claims Jose Altuve treatment is a rarity in light of Ryan Pressly's trade to Chicago Cubs

The Houston Astros have reportedly traded right-handed reliever Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for an unnamed prospect along with cash considerations. The veteran pitcher was converted into a setup man after the Astros acquired elite closer Josh Hader on a long-term contract last year.

MLB insider Chandler Rome feels there was little chance of the Houston Astros offering Ryan Pressly a long-term contract extension like they did to Jose Altuve to keep him in the team for the remainder of his career. He feels the two-time All-Star was not pleased to be taken off the closer role following the arrival of Josh Hader, even though there is a strong relationship between the two relievers.

Chandler Rome is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Houston Astros. He appeared as a guest on the Chicago Cubs-based podcast North Side Territory on Monday to discuss the recent trade deal between the two teams.[0 - 9:44]

"Ryan Pressly was demoted for no reason," he said. "He was fine in 2023. He did very well and did nothing on the field to earn a demotion. The Astros wanted to build a three-headed monster at the back of their bullpen, so they got it done. They kept Pressly informed about the Hader negotiations, but it's not like they sought his approval.

"It took him a while to adjust to the setup role, and I think it just left a bad taste in Pressly's mouth for what he'd done for the organization," Rome continued. "Baseball is a cruel business. Unless you're Jose Altuve, very rarely do you get, "You've done this for the franchise, so we're going to defer you.""

Jose Altuve has remained with the Astros since making his debut with the team in 2011. He had signed a five-year, $151 million contract extension in 2018. Altuve agreed to another five-year, $125 million deal last year.

I still think Ryan Pressly is a very good reliever: Chandler Rome

Ryan Pressly recorded the final out to win the 2022 World Series for the Astros (Image Source: IMAGN)

During his appearance for the North Side Territory podcast, Chandler Rome underlined what the Chicago Cubs could expect from Ryan Pressly this season.

"He misses enough bats. He didn't miss bats last year. That was his biggest problem," Rome said. "He struggled to miss bats and got some poor bat-to-ball luck; as a result, the walk rate ticked up a little bit.

"He takes the ball. He will pitch three days in a row if you need him," Rome added. "He's a gamer; very tough. Been on the IL a couple of times with a little bit of nagging stuff but nothing that is a concern. I still think he's a very good reliever."

Pressly pitched 56.2 innings last season and posted a 3.49 ERA with 58 strikeouts and a 1.341 WHIP.