Astros offseason is being held hostage by one of Dana Brown's biggest mistakes

As if the Kyle Tucker trade last month didn't make it obvious enough, this is something of a reset year for the Houston Astros, or at least a retooling one. Houston's seen increasingly diminishing returns over the last couple of seasons despite a top-five payroll, and with Jim Crane unwilling to completely break the bank to keep the gang together, GM Dana Brown has found himself up against it as he attempts to field a competitive roster in 2025 while cutting costs wherever he can.

One ideal place to start would be veteran reliever Ryan Pressly, whose three-year, $42 million deal signed after the 2022 season seemed aggressive at the time and has only looked worse as the righty's game has regressed. Pressly is set to make $14 million this year, a luxury Houston simply can't afford — especially not with Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu already competing for late-inning opportunities.

The Astros would love nothing more than to free that money up to spend elsewhere. But there's just one problem: Pressly's contract also includes a full no-trade clause, and he's not willing to do the team any favors.

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Ryan Pressly contract continues to haunt Dana Brown, Astros

Yes, that's right: For the second time this offseason, Brown and the Astros have had their best-laid offseason plans foiled by a no-trade clause. A few weeks after Nolan Arenado nixed a trade to Houston, Pressly reportedly put the kibosh on a deal that would've sent the righty to the bullpen-needy Chicago Cubs.

It's unlikely that the Cubs would've been willing to give up a ton of prospect value in return for Pressly, especially given his contract. But Chicago has among the deepest farm systems in the game, and a deal here could've allowed Houston to restock a bit while opening up money to address needs elsewhere. (Or maybe, just maybe, keep the door open for an Alex Bregman reunion.)

Instead, Pressly has decided to stay put — as is his right. Brown is the one who agreed to the contract, and Pressly shouldn't lose a wink of sleep over making use of it to avoid having to uproot both he and his family. Still, this is a brutal turn of events in what's already been a difficult offseason, and it once more underscores just how much the Pressly deal has hurt Brown and the Astros from the moment it was signed. It was an extravagance that made sense on the heels of a World Series win in 2022; now, though, the winds have changed in Houston, and things might get worse before they get better.